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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27897682">Not Yet</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Helenofsparta725/pseuds/Helenofsparta725'>Helenofsparta725</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adventure &amp; Romance, Alpha Ben Solo, Alternate Universe - Canon, Ben Solo Lives, Ben Solo Loves Rey, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Devoted Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff and Humor, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Ghost Anakin Skywalker, Good Parent Han Solo, Good Parent Leia Organa, Happy Ending, Minor Original Character(s), POV Ben Solo, POV Rey, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Redeemed Ben Solo, Rey Needs A Hug (Star Wars), Romantic Fluff, Sad Chewbacca (Star Wars), Star Wars Spoilers, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It, Uncle Chewbacca (Star Wars)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 17:20:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>26,844</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27897682</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Helenofsparta725/pseuds/Helenofsparta725</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Alternative ending to TROS. Pure Reylo; with Ben Solo surviving as he should have! Now, will he be accepted and forgiven by anyone besides Rey? And can they find anything out about the people Rey's parents were?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rey &amp; Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>68</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cold. Rey was so <em>cold</em>. She couldn't move or even feel her body. All she could sense was the Force and… <em>the whispers</em>. The same whispers that had given her the strength to stand up only moments before.</p><p>"Not yet, Rey." One voice whispered, louder than the rest.</p><p>
  <em>Luke?</em>
</p><p>"Its not your time, Rey," Another faint voice added.</p><p>Then, she abruptly felt something she couldn't put words to. She sensed the outline of her body begin to take shape once more. Starting from a small, bright light, a path of life was illuminated as whatever it was began to course throughout her body from her abdomen. It felt warm - hot even - but not uncomfortably so. As seconds passed, her dead limbs began to feel lighter and Rey could feel the cold air on parts of her skin. Her mind paused when it realized it could not feel the ground upon which she had fallen, the dusty and rubble covered floor of the Sith temple that she had felt last before her mind succumbed to the Force.</p><p>As the light pervaded throughout her drained body, she felt fleeting emotions pass into her mind, almost as if someone was telling a story with flashes of images. Anger, fear, resolve, relief, and…love?</p><p>With great effort and on nothing more than instinct, her bloodied hand slowly moved to the source of the light pouring into her. She felt…<em>a hand</em>?</p><p>Rey's eyes were open but unseeing. Color and light began to filter in, giving her a slow and blurry picture of a dark figure looking down on her. Then suddenly, as if someone had snapped their fingers, her vision cleared and she was looking into the tortured, awestruck eyes of Ben Solo.</p><p>Rey sat up quickly, realizing she was cradled within his arms and on his lap. One of his large hands softly gripped her neck, holding her close. His eyes roamed over her face rapidly, clearly in disbelief.</p><p>"Ben?" She whispered, a mixture of happiness, relief, and her own disbelief rolled into one word.</p><p>Ben didn't reply, seemingly stunned, his eyes now unable to leave her own. She moved her hand to his face, her other hand still holding tightly to the other hand he had placed on her body and transferred his life-force through.</p><p>The same mixture of feelings she felt were reflected in his eyes, and she felt their Bond vibrate with contentment from their close proximity. Before Rey had time to truly reflect on this sensation, she was leaning forward and feeling the press of his lips, bruised and bloodied against hers, feeling his arms tighten around her as she kissed him. Time stopped, the galaxy paused, and a heavy silence settled as the Bond encompassed Ben and Rey fully.</p><p>Parsecs, hours, or days could have passed for all they knew when Rey slowly pulled away, taking in the sight of his face once again, a slight question remaining in her eyes. In reply Ben smiled a toothy grin, a small laugh escaping. It was the epitome of happiness at that exact moment. Relief at being alive, joy at Ben being the one to revive her, triumph from defeating the threat of Palpatine and Sith rule.</p><p>The happy moment was not to last, though. Alarm suddenly filled the Bond and Rey reached for the back of Ben's head as he suddenly began to fall backwards. Panic coursed through her newly awakened nerves and she felt Ben's side of the Bond begin to fade.</p><p>No. <em>No!</em></p><p>Rey bent over him; her legs awkwardly splayed around him. She put both hands on the sides of his face, his expression now blank when only seconds ago it had been blissful. Bowing her head and closing her eyes, she concentrated. She called on all the Jedi of the past to help her once again. Their Bond, a dyad in the Force, must live on. It represented the ultimate balance of dark and light. How could she achieve that without him?</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>"A power like life itself…"</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>He must have given all of his life-force in order to bring her back.</p><p><em>"You fool, you amazing, unthinking, fool,"</em> Rey thought at him, still pulling on all the strength she had in the Force, and that which was lent by those who were one with the Force. Sweat and grime began to trickle down the sides of her temples and a drop fell from her nose onto Ben's cheek.</p><p>Healing was still relatively new to her, a skill she had only discovered by way of the Jedi texts and through Leia's help. Her first trial of the skill had been on that serpent in the desert on Pasaana, what seemed millennia ago now.</p><p>When she had healed Ben from the saber wound that she had inflicted only the day before, it felt almost natural. They were equals in the Force; what was hers was his and vice versa. Ben's final act of giving his life for hers had clearly been inspired by her act while on the remnants of the Death Star on Kef Bir.</p><p>"<em>Fool</em>," Rey thought again. He hadn't needed to give her <em>all</em> that he had. She imagined that the teachings of the dark side on healing and compassion were limited. She and Ben, their dyad of hope, were meant to achieve equality in all things, and now their Bond's life-force most of all.</p><p>It was harder to achieve than she thought as Rey began to once again feel her own life-force drip into Ben. Too much, and she would arrive at the same fate as he had. She felt the presence of two Force signatures behind her, and she knew instantly that they were Luke and Leia. Their love, together with Rey's, poured slowly into Ben Solo's broken body.</p><p>Minutes ticked by until she felt it. <em>A heartbeat.</em></p><p>Dark eyelashes begin to flutter just before his eyes flew open, resuming their lock on her gaze.</p><p>"Rey?" He whispered hoarsely, confusion clouding his face.</p><p>In return she flashed a wide smile of elation, sinking her fingers from the side of his face towards the back of his head and into his thick hair that lay tangled around him on the ground.</p><p>Ben lunged up, capturing her lips for a second kiss that he thought would have never come. His hands went to her shoulders, lightly pulling her closer as her legs curled at his side and she melted to his touch in return.</p><p>When they finally broke away, Ben sat up again, looking down on his own body.</p><p>"How?" He spoke softly, still looking down at himself, as if at any moment this gift would be taken away.</p><p>"Balance," was Rey's only reply. She gave him a shy smile when he looked back up at her, incredulous.</p><p>Silently, Rey moved to take Ben's hand and closed her eyes in concentration. Ben again felt the same flicker of energy as he had that first time they touched hands through their connection. This time, however, it was different. He could feel the energy she was purposely sending him through their Bond. He felt the equality between them, of dark, light, and life. They were an equal match in all things and now he could feel it. She was the balm to the conflict he had felt in his life for so long.</p><p>Ben shifted and attempted to move his legs, but stopped suddenly when a jolt of pain shot up from his lower leg.</p><p>Concern flashed in Rey's face and she moved to touch the source of his pain, a shattered ankle.</p><p>"Don't," Ben croaked, grabbing her hand.</p><p>"But, Ben, I can –"</p><p>"Rey, we're both barely alive. I can't let you do that, not until you've had time to recover," He looked down at her hand, now covered by both of his much larger hands, almost in a caress.</p><p>A moment of defiance crossed Rey's features, but she sighed and gave a slight nod in agreement. He was right, they both were nearly drained and practically surviving on the thread of their Bond. Her own body was starting to throb with its own pains.</p><p>The blooming pain was the first sign that their little bubble of frozen time was fading. Looking up to the opening in the temple, both Ben and Rey could see the fleet of the Final Order crumbling from the sky, the Resistance and its friends taking out the last of the threats. The ground began to vibrate beneath them, cracks in the floor spreading.</p><p>With a struggle, Rey made it to her feet, reaching her hand down to Ben. He grunted with exertion as he tried to balance on his good foot and lean on her. Her own ribs began to scream out, surely broken or bruised as she breathed deeply and began to help him limp towards the landing where she had left Luke's X-wing.</p><p>It suddenly occurred to her that she had no clue how Ben had made it to her here on Exegol. She had stolen his ship on Kef Bir and destroyed it.</p><p>"How…How did you even get here?" Rey managed, taking short, quick breaths to avoid the pain in her ribs as they navigated the disintegrating temple.</p><p>With his dark hair plastered to his face from the strain of limping, he gave her a surprisingly boyish grin in reply, "I commandeered a TIE fighter."</p><p>Of course he had. Because it was all that simple.</p><p>"And your lightsaber?"</p><p>The grin quickly disappeared and was replaced by a grimace as he looked back towards the ground in front of them. She felt a shiver through the Bond.</p><p>"At the bottom of an ocean. We're almost there now," He quickly answered, redirecting their attention to the silhouettes of the two ships.</p><p>As they stumbled closer to the ships, Rey pulled them towards Luke's X-wing. Ben halted suddenly, almost making Rey lose her footing and nearly ending with both of them on the ground once again.</p><p>When he had first seen the ship, Ben had been relieved. She was there and he had arrived to be with her, to help her. Now, he felt the overwhelming presence of his uncle, of the history behind what the old ship had seen.</p><p>Ben stared at the ship and Rey looked towards his face, taking in his stricken profile.</p><p>"Well, we can't exactly just fly to the base of the Resistance in a First Order TIE," she huffed, tugging slightly on him to continue.</p><p>His only reply was a large sigh as he shook the hair out of his eyes and followed her lead.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Getting them both actually <em>into</em> the fighter had been another trial altogether. Ben's tall form had hunched over behind the pilot seat while gingerly placing his broken ankle near Rey's right-hand controls in a superhuman attempt at fitting into the single-pilot craft.</p><p>"Rey?" Ben asked through clenched teeth, thoroughly uncomfortable and talking towards the floor, seeing as how he could barely turn his head.</p><p>"Yes?" She answered without looking away from the task-at-hand of taking off.</p><p>"What happened to my ship?"</p><p>"Oh, the TIE Silencer…?"</p><p>"Yes, unless we're discussing another of my ships that you've stolen and that I'm unaware of," The sarcasm was unmistakable in his voice, yet remained lighthearted.</p><p>"Oh, I-, uh… I burned it," Rey said sheepishly, remembering her weakness of giving up on Ahch-to, of her tantrum that had only ended with Luke's Force ghost appearing as she threw his lightsaber into the fire. She was glad she didn't have to say it to Ben's face in that moment.</p><p>"You burned-," shock wound through their shared Bond, followed by a small spike of anger, and then, strangely enough, the feeling of relief.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Ben –" she began.</p><p>"No, it doesn't matter. It's a First Order ship, and won't be of use to me any longer. I did painstakingly customize those controls, though," he ended on a quiet, yet wistful note.</p><p>Rey could detect none of the fury she would have expected from him had he gotten this news before that day on the ruined ramparts of the Death Star. His lightsaber rages were notorious even to those outside of the First Order. The light and balance of their Bond was truly taking hold within a changed man, and a strong surge of tenderness welled within her.</p><p>* * *</p><p>The actual flying was mediocre at best, compared to Rey's typical piloting exploits. The entire balance of the ship was off kilter with the added weight of a passenger and maneuvering anything more than simple turns was near impossible. It had taken the two nearly double the time it should have when they finally had the planet Ajan Kloss in sight.</p><p>"Great. It looks just like Dagobah," Ben muttered to himself, peering over Rey's shoulder to take in the planet that played home to the Resistance. His annoyance at his own reference to his uncle's former training grounds was quickly replaced by anxiety. How in the galaxy was he going to just show up here, being the scourge of the Resistance that he had been? No one but Rey could know how his heart had changed, how his very soul keened to be reconciled with the light as it once was. No one could know how his mother's dying act had broken the last pieces of ice around the crumbling façade that was his link to the dark side.</p><p>The sharp, pleasant thrum of the Bond perked up at that moment, giving him sudden calmness that he knew wasn't his own. He was feeling Rey's emotions and her attempt to soothe his anxieties.</p><p>"What are you going to say to them, Rey? How can you possibly explain <em>me</em>?"</p><p>Rey was silent in reply. She almost wished she could say that she hadn't thought about that until now, but in truth, she had been running scenarios through her head for hours. What could she say to explain him? To explain them and what they had?</p><p>"The truth," she finally answered, only to be rewarded with a flustered groan from Ben.</p><p>The truth was good enough for her, wasn't it? Rey knew his heart and mind through their Bond, and had learned him inside and out over months of their spontaneous connections through the Force. He had been twisted, nearly overtaken with the dark side, with delusions of Snoke and his Grandfather, and had committed heinous crimes under the name of Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader of the First Order. That part, everyone knew. What they didn't know was the conflict Rey had felt from him since the very beginning, the Ben Solo that had been shielded deep within him; the Ben Solo that Leia had promised was still there.</p><p>But Leia was gone. No one else would believe his true story, his transformation from a broken, warped mind to a balanced, compassionate soul, would they?</p><p>* * *</p><p>"Rey! You're back!" Poe's voice excitedly crackled over the ancient communicator of the X-wing.</p><p>Rey couldn't help but smile, but she could only imagine the scowl Ben probably wore in response to Poe Dameron's greeting.</p><p>"Its good to hear your voice, Poe."</p><p>"Get down here, you're clear for landing, put 'er down next to the Falcon," The newly minted general directed.</p><p>The landing was smooth, but something in Rey told her that this would be the last smooth part about this experience. She unbuckled her restraints slowly, listening to Ben's hitched breathing as he readied himself to finally dislodge from behind her seat and face what was next.</p><p>"Balance, Ben, remember. We will get through this. Together." She twisted in her chair to look at him just then, all her effort going towards reassuring him in that moment. He was dirty and bloodied like herself, but even more disheveled with his torn clothing, the singed hole in the torso of his tunic flashing the memory through her like a blaster bolt. She reached out, taking his hand. He closed his fingers around it in response, giving a gentle squeeze of acknowledgement before looking into her eyes and holding them until a pop and hiss signaled the opening of the X-wing's transparisteel canopy.</p><p>Rey clambered out of the fighter and she could see the crowd gathering towards her ship. Instead of running to greet them as they no doubt expected, she turned back towards the fighter and looked up, holding out her hand. A collective gasp could be heard from the growing crowd as Ben eased himself up and then down the side of the fighter, using the Force to soften his landing on the ground. Rey positioned his arm around her shoulders for support before finally looking towards the victors of battle, the Resistance; her friends.</p><p>Wide eyes stared back at them in question and shock.</p><p>"Move aside, move aside," Finn waded through the crowd, Poe close behind him.</p><p>When they exited the group, both Finn and Poe's jaw went slack.</p><p>"Rey! What-" Finn started.</p><p>"What in the hells –" Poe began at the same time.</p><p>"BEN SOLO!" a voice boomed from the crowd, silencing everyone. Maz Kanata, the small orange humanoid marched from the throngs of Resistance fighters and straight up to Ben and Rey who stood just as stunned as everyone else.</p><p>Maz stopped in front of them and looking up to Ben's face, gestured sharply with her hands that he was to come down to her level. Ben looked at Rey's face quickly and gulped before slowly kneeling to the ground in front of the petite, yet commanding female.</p><p>"You destroyed my castle," She said, matter-of-factly. Ben's only answer was to look down in shame, his dark lashes fluttering nervously.</p><p>In turn, Maz gave him a hard tap on the side of the head and he quickly looked back to her gaze. She looked into his eyes for a moment before slowly removing her googles, not breaking eye contact and staring deeply as if she could see straight through him.</p><p>It was so silent around them that the rustle of the trees overhead could be heard clearly as everyone watched this interaction with acute interest.</p><p>"Even now, I can see it, feel it. You have so much of your father's heart in you, Ben Solo. And your mother's soul."</p><p>Ben flinched when she said the word 'father', as he could not help but be reminded of the time he knelt in front of Snoke, who had berated him with the same sentiment after the destruction Starkiller Base. However, instead of the torment Snoke meant to inflict with such a comparison, Maz meant it with affection and hope.</p><p>Maz edged back an inch, still eyeing the former Supreme Leader with interest as Ben looked up towards Rey who had the same wide-eyed expression as much of her fellow Resistance members. Rey looked down at him with a small but growing smile, seeing the hope of forgiveness cross his face just as she was feeling it bleed across their Bond.</p><p>Maz now refocused her gaze to Rey, and smiling, reached out to take her hand as she spoke, "I told you, girl, that there was someone who could still come back."</p><p>It was Ben who the woman had been talking about all those months ago on Takodana? Rey had been heartbroken at facing the ever-growing realization that her parents were never coming for her when Maz had told her that whoever she was waiting for on Jakku was never coming back. Reassuringly, however, she had been left with a small hope when Maz had finished with: <em>But there's someone who still could.</em></p><p>Rey stared in wonder at Ben, understanding now that this Bond had been formed to bring them together, to bring him back, and to bring balance back to the Force once again. Had she gone back to Jakku, she, the people around her, and the galaxy itself would have been in chaos. She helped him back up from his kneeling stance and leaned into him only slightly, closing her eyes for just a moment as she soaked in his warmth.</p><p>Maz turned to face the throng of onlookers and put her hands on her hips. She looked towards a slight man with brown hair, "You man, get this boy some bacta before he keels over! And you," she turned to a tall humanoid female, "Get them some new clothes before those rags fall off of them and we're all given a real show to watch!"</p><p>The small 'pirate queen' had nothing if not an authoritative presence, and the two 'volunteers' scurried away to fulfill her orders, lest they face her wrath. Confusion, wariness, and even disgust crossed the faces of some as the group of Resistance members began to disperse. Yet, both Poe and Finn remained, both standing with arms crossed and stunned looks.</p><p>Rey and Ben limped forward, following the path Maz was creating for them. Rey stopped as she neared Finn and Poe and looked at them apologetically.</p><p>"I promise, I will explain everything. But please, keep an open mind." Rey implored before continuing on. They had to find some medicine, food, clothes and beds before the heavy exhaustion finally claimed them both right there on the forest floor. They would need the strength to face her friends.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is a bit more fluff, but I hope to be setting myself up for the next few. Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ben rolled stiffly in his sleep, expecting the pain from his ankle to make itself known. When he realized he only felt a dull ache of healing, he was suddenly alert, his eyes flying open. <em>How long have I been asleep for? Has it been hours, days? Where is Rey?</em></p><p>Sitting up from the meager bed roll on the dirt and moss covered floor, he felt a panic when he noticed he was alone. He appeared to be in some sort of small, cave-like room and he was unable to immediately sense Rey's presence nearby. A few minutes passed before he heard yelling from outside the door and felt relief when he could sense Rey's light, though it was white hot and pulsing. Ben felt that she was angry, furious even.</p><p>Could she have been reminded of one of his many crimes, possibly causing the love and unity now between them to fall away? Fear spiked within him, sending an icy chill up his spine at the thought.</p><p>Before he could get too deep into his own anxieties, Ben could hear the voices coming closer, and he hesitantly approached the only door to the room. Though he was sure that the door was locked, he tried the rusty handle anyway without success. Instead, he pressed his cheek to the door, eyes closed in concentration, trying to hear the conversation.</p><p>"I've told you Poe! <em>That is not who he is anymore!</em> He gave his own LIFE for ME! How could someone so completely evil make such a sacrifice?"</p><p>"Sorry, Rey, I cannot go on trust alone. You're my friend, but you cannot imagine how he tore through my mind in that interrogation room, let alone ignore the fact that he nearly killed Finn on Starkiller! How can we just live with him happily-ever-after now that he's done one damned thing right?" Poe countered, his voice growing louder with frustration.</p><p>They moved further from the door and the argument became more muffled, but he could still sense Rey's anger and desperation. His heart beat unevenly at knowing she was trying to reason with her friend in his defense. Before he could contemplate long on this revelation, the voices circled back. He imagined it was a hallway of sorts, and that Rey was pacing up and down it.</p><p>"I don't CARE what they think, I cannot not let you keep him locked up in there!" She yelled, almost snarling.</p><p>Unexpectedly, the rusty hinges on his door groaned, and Ben stumbled back a few steps as the door began to vibrate. It flew open, revealing Rey's rigid stance with her right arm out, palm facing Ben's surprised face.</p><p>Poe's speechless figure standing behind her spoke volumes. She had just defied her friend and new general and blown Ben's door open by way of the Force.</p><p>Rey seemed a little stunned herself, looking down at her hand briefly before hurriedly looking to Ben. He closed the gap between them in seconds, engulfing her in his arms tightly and bringing her head to his chest with his right hand. The Bond practically sang with relief.</p><p>He bent his head until his mouth was practically in her hair and breathed deeply before softly whispering, "I woke up and I could't feel-"</p><p>"I know, I felt the fear," She replied wretchedly, squeezing her arms tighter around his midsection.</p><p>Still in the hallway, Poe huffed and threw up his arms in exasperation, "I just can't with you two right now. This discussion is not over, Rey!"</p><p>With that, the young general turned on his heel and left, leaving the two in their embrace. Ben held her like that for a long moment, trying to piece together what had happened since their not-so-welcomed arrival.</p><p>After her inspection of the couple, Maz had ushered them to a sort of dining area and sat them down without a word. A large tray of food had been set in front of them, and both Rey and Ben quickly had reached for the first thing in front of them, realizing how famished they were. They hadn't eaten even close to their fill when drowsiness began to set in and their heads began to droop. After that, it was a blur. Had he fallen asleep right there on the table only to have them drag him to a cell?</p><p>Slowly, Rey pulled back and looked up at him, reaching to touch his jawline, "Ben, I am so sorry."</p><p>Ben closed his eyes, taking another deep breath. He had known this transition would not be simple. The history was too great, and the galaxy had suffered far too much to sweep his actions under the rug in the face of one redeeming feat.</p><p>"This is my wrong to right, Rey. None of it is your fault. I did this," he sighed before continuing, "I don't know what I have to do yet, but I will have the strength to it, thanks to you."</p><p>Rey turned her eyes away, moving her focus to the tears on his tunic, plucking nervously at the loose threads. She was sad with the knowledge that what he was saying was true, especially to others. Even so, a sense of hope and pride filled her at his promise to set things right. Through the Bond alone, she felt as if she had already forgiven him for what he had done long before Exegol. Kylo Ren had been a puppet of Palpatine since he was a child, but Ben Solo had always been there in some form, hiding and surviving. Now, Rey could see them as two separate people, yet knew it would never be so easy for the others to see that same contrast.</p><p>Changing the subject, if just for a moment, Rey stepped back and looked back up to his face, "I cannot believe they didn't even leave you some new clothes! The nerve of that kriffing pilot."</p><p>The corner of Ben's mouth twitched before he gave her a sweet grin, almost embarrassed at her level of concern for him. He had not felt that kind of concern for his well-being since he was a teenager. The smile faded and Rey sensed his thoughts on the subject, reflecting his facial expression.</p><p>"Wait here," she patted his chest once in reassurance and quickly marched out of his room, not even sparing a second glance for the door that was now hanging off its hinges. He did as he was instructed but could not take his eyes off of her, noting that she had not had to go far to find what she was looking for. He lost sight of her when she stepped into what appeared to be a utility closet, but could hear her rustling through various items.</p><p>She returned quickly, arms full of clothes, a pair of boots, and soap. He held out his arms, eyeing the grin she was giving him skeptically.</p><p>"Welcome to the Resistance," she laughed.</p><p>* * *</p><p>Had being clean ever felt <em>this good</em> before? Ben was sure his answer in that moment was a solid no. He gave his head a flick, flinging his wet hair out of his eyes as he wrapped a towel around his torso and walked out of the 'fresher.</p><p>"I thought you may have drowned in there," Rey called out to him from the hallway just outside the changing room he had just stepped into.</p><p>He couldn't help but let a small chuckle escape at her quip. The water had been slightly brown and the temperature had been tepid at best, but he had stayed in there long after he was clean, finally feeling revived. He walked over to the neat stack of clothes Rey had procured for him and held out the shirt. It was simply a beige standard issue long-sleeved button-down shirt. Inwardly he chided himself for his vain judgement on the color of his new wardrobe. However, if he wanted to be seen as changed, the least he could do was start with his attire, right?</p><p>He finished dressing and was rolling up his sleeves when the door to the room inched open and he could see one of her eyes peeking through.</p><p>"Decent in there?"</p><p>"It appears you already know the answer to that," he smirked as made the final roll on his sleeve.</p><p>She opened the door the rest of the way and approached him, silently appreciating how he looked now that he was properly clean and dressed. Rey could not help but want to be near him, this newfound feeling of completeness within the Force when they touched being stronger than anything she had felt before. She immediately reached up to his face, moving a lock of wet hair from the left side of his forehead and tracing a path down his face.</p><p>"I'm glad this is gone," Rey said softly, ending the line she was tracing at the bottom of his jaw.</p><p>His eyes flew to hers in shock as he reached up to touch his face, expecting to feel the familiar ridges of the scar she had traced.</p><p>Rey looked at him quizzically, "Your scars, they're all gone. Did you not know?"</p><p>"When? How?" He quickly unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt and checked his shoulder for the round, puckered saber scar that was once there, running his fingers over the now smooth and unblemished skin.</p><p>"It was on Kef Bir, when I…healed you," She looked down, her fingers now lightly gliding across his abdomen where she had mortally run him through with his own lightsaber.</p><p>He turned from her slightly, looking at his reflection in small, dirty mirror hanging on the wall. He could not remember the last time he had looked at his own face for more than a moment, perhaps subconsciously avoiding seeing his hatred for his self.</p><p>Rey watched as Ben quietly inspected his own reflection, sensing he was finally seeing the Ben Solo she had always seen inside him. The moment was tender and made her reflect on the innocence lost in the many years he had been poisoned and seduced by the dark side and Darth Sidious.</p><p>Ben turned away from the mirror and back to Rey, his cheeks tinged with color, embarrassed at his own lack of self-awareness. She truly was the cure for him in all the ways he needed. He brought his hand to her cheek affectionately, his large hand almost cupping her head as his fingertips grazed her traditional hairstyle of three buns. She pressed her own hand over his, closing her eyes in the satisfaction that touch brought them.</p><p>As he looked her over, he noticed that she wore the same gray and white ensemble that she had been wearing when their first Force connection opened on Ahch-To, though now excluding the forearm wraps. The collared grey vest created sharp edges around her while still letting the softness of her features shine through. He thought it complimented her beautifully.</p><p>Without warning, Ben closed the gap between their faces and met her lips in a kiss, bringing his other hand to the small of her back. Her initial shock was quickly replaced by fervor and she threw her arms around his neck. They had not shared a kiss since Exegol, which had only been two days past, but that already felt like an age. The Bond was insatiable in its need for them to as physically close as possible.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"One more good slather of bacta, and you're all set, Solo," a sprightly female medic said as she placed a dollop of the thick, gooey substance on his ankle. Rey stood next to where he sat on a makeshift exam table, rolling her eyes. He was still afraid to let her heal him, opting for the traditional route.</p><p>"Thanks," Ben muttered, slightly annoyed at the feeling of the gelatinous goop now wrapped around his foot as he slowly slid it back into his boot.</p><p>As he was leaning forward to lace up, he spared a sideways glance for Rey, who was looking a little too smug at his current predicament.</p><p>"Don't even say it," he groaned, rolling his own eyes and eliciting a muffled giggle from her.</p><p>When they left the medical area, a light rain began to fall upon the forest encampment. Rey stopped in place, closing her eyes and looking up with a small smile growing on her face. She loved the rain; it was a novelty being from a backwater desert planet.</p><p>Ben stopped with her, watching her enjoy this simple act of nature. He, or rather, they, had nowhere to be, no mission to focus on, no enemy to seek out. For once, they had time for just this sort of small and peaceful pleasure. Something struck him then, making it feel almost as if the ground beneath him had tilted with his realization.</p><p>
  <em>Is this what silence feels like? Is this what it feels like to finally not be pushed and used for destruction by an ever-present, ominous voice within?</em>
</p><p>Ben Solo was almost knocked over by the feeling of calm within him, the quiet in his soul that he had never had as far as his memory went back. Palpatine, whether in the guise of Darth Vader or Snoke, had been there from the very beginning, poisoning and plotting the use of another Skywalker. He suddenly felt directionless and lost. He had been Kylo Ren for so long, even before he had assumed the name. <em>What is it to be Ben Solo?</em></p><p>Rey, sensing an abrupt shift in the mood of their Bond, opened her eyes and turned to look at him, droplets of cool water trailing down her face from the steady rain. She could see he was lost in a swirl of thoughts and from the look on his face, it wasn't a pleasant state. Slowly, she reached for his hand.</p><p>He blinked and shook his head slightly at the warmth of her touch now interrupting his looping thoughts. Without a word, he allowed himself to be led through the encampment, still feeling lost in a daze.</p><p>* * *</p><p>Despite their disagreement on the subject of Ben, Poe had graciously gifted Rey with General Organa's private quarters within the heart of the camp. With the loss of Leia's flagship, the <em>Tantive IV</em>, during the Final Order's defeat, the remaining members of the Resistance now resided in assorted ships from the Citizen's Fleet all over the base and there wasn't much space to be had as a result.</p><p>Neither of the couple said a word as they entered the cavernous structure near where Rey had often lounged, engrossed in the teachings of the Jedi texts. Upon entering through the doorway, both of them were taken aback by their respective emotions. Ben looked around tentatively, noting the strong energy of his mother that still permeated the large, but not quite ostentatious, room. An overwhelming, yet equal, sadness settled between them, streaking through their Bond.</p><p>Releasing her hand, Ben gravitated towards a simple desk with a chair that had a cloak draped over it. He fingered the cloth tenderly and ran his eyes over the disarray of data pads on the desktop. He swallowed sharply; his throat tight with unreleased grief.</p><p>Rey turned away, giving him a private moment to himself. Though she felt the loss of Leia deeply, she knew it could be no match for the storm of feelings that her son was likely experiencing now. Absentmindedly, she made her own way to a nearby bureau that was small but ornate, speaking to the taste of the Princess turned General. She hovered her hand over the various pieces of jewelry and knick-knacks that lay out, appreciating their beauty, until one piece stopped her hand. It was a small, triangular piece of what appeared to be warped metal, slightly tarnished with age and looped onto a delicate silver chain. She had never seen Leia wear it, and it appeared out of place amongst the rest of the elaborate and refined jewelry laid out before her. Curious, Rey held it up, hanging the thin chain over her index finger for a closer inspection.</p><p>"I cannot believe she kept that piece of junk," Ben whispered, the astonishment obvious.</p><p>Rey nearly jumped in surprise at the broken silence, looking to him on her left. He had come to stand close behind her, his chest nearly touching her shoulder as he leaned over her ever so slightly, staring at the dangling piece of metal.</p><p>"What is it?" Rey matched his whisper, as if the moment held a secret magic that she did not yet understand.</p><p>"It's supposed to be the Crest of Alderaan," he said with an air of awkwardness, his focus remaining on the piece. He extended his hand to touch it with his thumb and forefinger, as if assuring himself that it would not disappear like his father's dice had in his hands on Crait. "I made it for her, when I was ten. It was for her birthday."</p><p>Again reminded of his lost innocence, Rey's eyes welled with tears, imagining him as a young boy filled with love for his mother. She turned so she was facing him fully and circled her arms around his waist, leaning her cheek on his chest. Without breaking the embrace, she spoke, "She kept it because she loves you. She never gave up on you, Ben. Leia always knew there was still light in you."</p><p>Ben's heart felt like it skipped a beat as he returned the embrace, clasping the handmade pendant in his palm and dropping his chin to the top of her head. Deep within, he knew what she said was true. Though she wasn't the most present mother in the galaxy, she had always championed him, encouraged him, and believed in him when he was in doubt. He had experienced it fleetingly that day in his TIE, in pursuit of the fleet of the Resistance, when he took his thumbs off of the trigger, feeling the link of love shared between mother and son. Even after that, he still doubted, telling himself that it was a trick of the mind, a weakness of the light that called to him.</p><p>That day on Kef Bir, though, could never be doubted. Hearing his name called by his mother's voice was like an electric shock that suddenly woke him from a coma. He didn't even feel his own saber plunge into his abdomen, being too encompassed in his mother's aura to register the fatal blow. Only when he had felt her light in the galaxy go out, did the full acknowledgement of what he had become rain down upon him like an avalanche. When Rey had healed him in the next moments, and told him that she had wanted to take Ben's hand, the pain in his soul had been unbearable, and he had wished she left the wound to take him.</p><p>The facets of his mind were laid bare and Rey felt him replay his memories, seeing them as if it were happening in front of her again, but through his eyes. Words were not needed between them then, so she simply held him tightly, letting him come to peace with his own truth.</p><p>* * *</p><p>After some time in the room, both managed to reign in their emotions enough to focus on the situation at hand. They had had so few moments together alone as partners rather than enemies, and it felt odd to simply relax in the presence of one another. Physically, they were still shy and unsure around one another, so they both acted on old habits and distanced themselves slightly within the space.</p><p>Rey stretched out on the bed on her stomach, a brittle book of Jedi teachings laid open in front of her. Only a few feet away, Ben sat at the desk, examining his mother's scattered, but thoughtfully laid out plans for the future of the galaxy. The silence between them was both peaceful and welcome after the madness of the past few days. It was becoming late, and neither had eaten yet, but they both felt too raw to face others at the moment.</p><p>The silence was broken when three hesitant knocks sounded at their door. Their eyes met in question, and Rey shrugged, hopping out of the bed to answer. Finn appeared in their doorway, looking cautious.</p><p>"Finn, hi," Rey said, giving him a tentative smile, unsure if it would be a friendly encounter or another screaming match like with Poe.</p><p>Ben stood up quickly, the chair making a scraping noise along the floor at the abruptness of being moved. He didn't want Rey to have to defend him again.</p><p>When Rey made no move to invite him in, Finn sighed and glanced to Ben, standing a few feet behind her, looking formidable. "Poe told me to tell you that he arranged a room for<em> Kylo Ren</em> on the other side of camp. I'm here to escort him."</p><p>Rey took a deep breath, trying to keep the darkness of her anger from flaring at the first friend she had ever made, "You can politely tell General Poe that I will be Ben's chaperone in my own quarters, and I will take full responsibility for him."</p><p>The former stormtrooper did not seem surprised by her response. She was about to close the door in his face, clearly done with the direction of the conversation before he put out a quick hand to stop it.</p><p>"Rey- wait, I'm sorry! You asked me to keep an open mind, and I want to hear you out."</p><p>She gave him a small, thankful smile and opened the door back up, nodding for him to enter. She led him over to a small table with two chairs in the far corner of the room. Ben remained in place, only turning to watch them settle in at the table. He suddenly felt awkward, unsure of what to do next in light of her friend's willingness to listen. Even now, after everything, he was always expecting a battle.</p><p>Rey gave a short, but detailed version of the complexities of their Bond and the events of Exegol from within the Sith temple. To his credit, Finn listened intently without interrupting and had a genuine look of contemplation on his face, looking back and forth between Rey and Ben as she spoke. Ben walked over to them at one point towards the end of her story, standing behind Rey with a protective hand on her shoulder, waiting for an eventual confrontation.</p><p>Once Rey finished, she took a deep breath, looking hopefully at her friend and grazing her hand over the one Ben had placed on her shoulder.</p><p>"You're right, I can <em>feel</em> the change. In you, and in him." Finn finally spoke as he turned his eyes from his hands clasped on the table, a look of understanding directed at both of them.</p><p>Ben's eyes widened and he almost stuttered, "You? You can feel it?"</p><p>Something clicked in Rey's mind and Ben felt it, both looking at Finn in astonishment. "Wait, what was it that you had to tell me? That time in the sinking fields, on Pasaana?"</p><p>"Well at first I thought I was crazy…"</p><p>"Finn. You can feel it, the <em>Force?</em> How long…?"</p><p>He shrugged in response, a sly smile crossing his features, "Yeah, at first it was just a feeling. You know, like when I decided to leave the First Order and just knew it was right. Later, it became stronger than a feeling…on Exegol. I felt…I felt you <em>die,</em> Rey."</p><p>Rey was stunned, but also cheerful. How could she have been so unobservant of her own friend through the last months? Shaking off the shock of the new revelation, she jumped up from her chair and flung herself at Finn, hugging him. Ben couldn't help but feel a warmth of optimism at the turn of events as well.</p><p>Optimism was still relatively new to them both, but now they couldn't help but smile at the prospect of tomorrow.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Don't worry, I think I'm getting to a little more romance coming up. Hope you're all enjoying the ride as much as I am!</p><p>Side note about the jewelry - I did a little research and there is actually a Crest of Alderaan, its an upside down triangle shape with curves. Apparently Leia wore a hair clip in that shape in one of the originals!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>CHAPTER 5</p><p>With their unique Bond came a unique problem. The couple found themselves feeling so in tune with one another, while being so unsure around each other at the same time. To know someone's mind and heart so completely was at odds with the fact that they had not spent much time together in the same physical location without their lightsabers crossed.</p><p>After Finn left though, the mood in the room was noticeably lighter. Rey sat down on the edge of the bed with a bounce, letting all her weight fall with her. She was exhausted from all that the day had brought, but it was a productive sort of exhaustion. It was now well past the hour of darkness, and a mild tension still tugged at the corner of Rey's mind yet - Ben.</p><p>She looked to him where he stood with his body angled half facing her, half facing the door, looking uncertain. She patted the space on the bed next to her, beckoning him with a relaxed grin. He hesitated for a moment before doing as she asked, slowly lowering himself to sit on the bed while still maintaining a small gap between them.</p><p>Rey leaned into him, slightly surprising him. He recovered quickly and turned his body so that she was leaning into his chest, then wrapped his arms around her, feeling the contentment radiate from her skin.</p><p>"Rey, do you really want me to stay here, in this room, with you?" He murmured, looking down at the top of her head. The matter of needing a chaperone could be discussed later.</p><p>She moved away from him on the bed slightly, bringing one of her legs up and sitting on her foot, but remained facing him. She took a deep breath and straightened her posture, bracing her resolve for what she was about to say next.</p><p>"Something has always been missing inside of me, as far back as I can remember. Until…that day when you took me on Takodana. When I was in that interrogation chair, I thought it was hatred and anger that I felt when I looked at you, in that horrible mask. But I was wrong. The connection between us that I was feeling scared me then, but it doesn't now. I'd never felt such a sense of belonging before you, Ben," She finished, a bit of pink touching her cheeks at her bold confession. She knew that he could feel that same sense of belonging; not to a cause or a master, but to one another. However, putting those feelings to words spoken aloud had not happened until this moment. Rey took another deep breath, continuing, "So, yes, I want you to stay. I need you to stay. Here. With me."</p><p>Her eyes were wide, and the vulnerability she was showing struck him right in the chest. The former Supreme Leader was overwhelmed by this declaration and found that words with which to reply escaped him. Through their Bond, he tried to show her what her words meant to him, how deeply they wound around his heart. He attempted to share his own vulnerability with the emotions that soared from him to her; warmth, gratefulness, and love.</p><p>He watched her eyes begin to shine wetly and felt the same sentiments sent back to him in return. He suddenly could not keep from touching her any longer, the draw he felt being stronger than any gravitational pull in the galaxy. With both hands, he drew her face towards his, tenderly kissing her. The tenderness morphed into something rougher when she placed a hand on his thigh and his own fingers drifted back into her hair, her half up-do again reminding him of how she had looked on Ahch-To.</p><p>Ben leaned back slowly on the bed, taking her with him without breaking their kiss. She angled herself over his chest, her legs remaining next to him. She dug her right hand into his hair while maintaining her balance over him with her left arm. Their kisses were lingering and slow, but full of a passion neither had known before. After a few moments, Rey pulled back a bit from the kiss, panting slightly, her face now flushed, matching his own. She averted her gaze, letting out a small, nervous laugh.</p><p>Stray strands of her hair tickled Ben's face, and he tried to contain a smile at her bashfulness, letting out a deep breath he didn't know he had been holding in. He could feel her hesitancy and he smoothed a bit of hair behind her ear. "Its late. Let's get some rest. We have all the time in the galaxy now, right?" he spoke reassuringly, feeling a bit nervous himself.</p><p>She nodded, reminded of just how tired she was when a small yawn escaped her. Rey had never slept with anyone in the same room before, let alone in the same bed with a large, imposing man that she just so happened to also be greatly attracted to. However, she was beginning to understand that this was all new to him, too, which was comforting.</p><p>Ben sat up with a small groan and walked over to the stash of new clothes he had been gifted by the Resistance. He had been allotted two sets of the standard uniform that most of the other members wore, as well as a loose pair of pants that he assumed were for sleeping. Ajan Kloss retained a tropical climate all year around, and even in the cooler caves, the heat was noticeable. Ben was sure that he maintained a thin layer of sweat the entire time he had been on this humid jungle moon and was glad to take the buttoned-up shirt off after a long day. He was used to the climate-controlled temperature of space craft and hoped Rey wouldn't mind that he was forgoing the shirt for sleep.</p><p>Ben had slipped into the pants while Rey was in the 'fresher. He had just finished shrugging out of his shirt when she emerged after a few moments, now wearing a familiar white tunic with what appeared to be her usual legging-type style, only looser and above the knees.</p><p>Rey took in the sight of Ben's back, shirtless. Her cheeks heated slightly, and she remembered the Force connection that occurred between them when they both had least wanted it. He had been glistening with sweat then, too, but most likely from a training session rather than the muggy climate of where they now stood.</p><p>Noting the energy prickle of her reaction, Ben maintained a blank face as he turned around, saving her any need to shy away</p><p>
  <em>…Was it embarrassment or attraction?</em>
</p><p>They both settled into the bed, a small space remaining between them. Rey pulled the thin sheet over her, but Ben lay on his back, preferring to have no covering. She turned on her side to face him, and he turned his head, locking his eyes with hers. He could sense what she was thinking, what she wanted, but knew she was undecided whether to voice it. Instead, he stretched out the arm closest to her in a silent invitation. Even with the heat, the chance at having Rey close to him was too much to pass up.</p><p>Inaudible delight and peace engulfed their Bond when she quickly moved into his embrace. Resting her head in the space between his shoulder and chest, their bodies molded easily, and she draped her arm over his midsection. It was a relief to both of them that the Bond spoke more than they ever could, allowing the awkwardness of words to be kept at bay.</p><p>* * *</p><p>Ben awoke with a jolt, suddenly unaware of where he was. He looked at the ceiling of the cave-like room, his mind slowly turning its gears to remember where he was.</p><p>His arm felt stiff, the feeling of pins and needles shooting up to his shoulder when he moved his fingers. He blinked a few times and looked to his arm where a sleeping Rey lay on his bicep, hands close to her face as if in prayer. Her pale, pink lips were slightly parted, and he could feel her warm breath as she slowly exhaled on his arm.</p><p>The sight was so pure, so peaceful, that he barely breathed as the minutes passed, fearing he would wake her. He had so many wrongs to right, so much of his life to make-up for, that he could not believe the universe had allowed him the extraordinary gift of the woman next to him.</p><p>"You snore," Rey groaned, cracking one eye open and swatting at his chest lazily, breaking the spell of the moment.</p><p>"I certainly do not," he replied in mock offense.</p><p>She stretched out, releasing his arm from its service as her pillow and placed her hands behind her head, "Even with you snoring like a Hutt, I don't think I've ever slept that well in my life."</p><p>He smirked and rolled his eyes, "Well, even with that rock you call a head crushing my blood flow, that was the best I've slept as far as I can recall."</p><p>She laughed in response to his tease, and then her face turned softer as she reached to run her fingertips along the side of his face, tracing his hairline, "I don't think I have ever seen you without red rings around your eyes. It's as if you have never slept before."</p><p>"I didn't. Or at least, I cannot remember a time where I've slept more than a few hours at once. It was especially difficult after that morning you tried to shoot me with a blaster."</p><p>Rey seemed surprised at that. He had slept worse since the Force had connected them?</p><p>Seeing her misunderstanding, Ben quickly spoke, "I was afraid to miss it. My chance at seeing you, to speak with you."</p><p>Her furrowed brow of misunderstanding smoothed and she broke into a full-faced smile, her dimples showing. How had it taken as long as it did for the man in front of her to see himself as she did? Stubbornly refusing sleep at just the chance to see her; how could he have felt all this and not seen it for the light inside him that it was?</p><p>"Skywalkers…" she murmured, shaking her head slightly and raising her eyebrows in a tease.</p><p>His only reply was a raised eyebrow in silent inquiry.</p><p>"Skywalkers are the most stubborn people I have ever met in this galaxy," she elaborated, receiving an eye-roll in reply.</p><p>Ben was about to make a retort about her own history of stubbornness, but a bang at the door followed by a series of warbling noises and animated beeps interrupted him.</p><p>"BB-8," Rey laughed, popping out of the bed and hurrying to the door to see the little droid. She hadn't seen him but briefly since she had returned to base with Ben.</p><p>A crescendo of trills and beeps greeted her when she opened the door and knelt down, placing a hand on BB-8's top piece near his two antennae.</p><p>"I'm sorry, BB-8, I've missed you, too!" She patted him reassuringly.</p><p>The spherical droid rolled back and forth in happiness before barging into the room, halting suddenly when he saw Ben's figure sitting up in the bed. An alarmed beep sounded from BB-8, and a retractable arm popped out of a compartment, ready to zap the stranger in Rey's defense.</p><p>"It's alright, its alright! He's a…friend." She assured the astromech, ending awkwardly on the word 'friend'. She had no idea how to describe her and Ben's relationship adequately, especially in terms a droid would understand.</p><p>Placated by the stranger's designation as friend by someone it trusted, the droid ignored Ben and buzzed around Rey excitedly.</p><p>"Really? He wants to see both of us?" Rey stood up, hands on her hips, curious about the uncharacteristically diplomatic choice of words that the new general had relayed to them via his droid. She moved her gaze from BB-8 to Ben, who remained sitting in the bed, his head cocked in question.</p><p>"It's Poe. He wants to have a meeting with you and I."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Poe sat across from Rey and Ben at a large table with a deactivated holo-projector in the middle within the conference room. Tension was palatable in the room as all three remained silent after taking their seats. Luckily, the silence was broken by Finn, who strode confidently into the room, giving a quick wink to Rey before he turned towards Poe and took a seat next to him, letting a neutral look takeover his face.</p><p>Rey relaxed a little, and felt Ben do the same next to her. She reached her hand out and lightly brushed his forearm with her fingertips before placing her hands on the table, clasped together. She was determined to keep her anger to a simmer in order to have a reasonable discussion with the equally hot-headed Poe.</p><p>"So, who talks first?" Ben crossed his arms while mimicking the words that the snarky pilot had said to him that night on Jakku when they had first crossed paths. The sarcasm was noted by Rey, who turned to give him a narrow-eyed look of warning.</p><p>"You're lucky we're having a discussion in the first place, <em>Ren.</em> With your crimes, I should have you locked in a cell for the rest of your days," Poe retorted, placing his hands flat on the table and rising slightly out of his chair.</p><p>Rey looked anxiously at Finn, both understanding that this conversation was already taking a turn for the worse. Finn reached up to his friend and co-general and placed a hand on his shoulder, lightly pressing him back into his seat.</p><p>A ripple of shame ran from Ben to Rey through the bond, and Ben cast his eyes downward at the table. Kylo Ren was not who he was anymore, and he wasn't doing a good job at convincing anyone at the moment.</p><p>"His name is <em>Ben</em>," Rey said calmly, yet firmly before continuing, "And he <em>and</em> I want to make this work for everyone, for the good of the –"</p><p>"I'm sorry." Ben suddenly cut Rey off in the midst of her crusading on his behalf and placed a hand gently over her still-clasped hands on table.</p><p>All eyes snapped to the person in question, surprised by the apology.</p><p>"I know who I was and what I did. It was all…unforgivable. I know that re-claiming my birth name does not erase my past. I am here now to attempt to make up for even a fraction of what I did to all of you," He slowly looked from Poe to Finn and then to Rey, whose eyes were wide with compassion, an imperceptible nod encouraging him to keep going. "I am willing to do what it takes, to stay here with Rey, and to help you right the wrongs I committed against the galaxy."</p><p>Poe listened intently, his fingers tapping his bottom lip in contemplation. He looked to Rey as Ben spoke, noting that she was seemingly enraptured with the man, a small smile at her lips. Poe then looked to his left at Finn, raising his eyebrows in a silent question.</p><p>Finn gave a slight shrug of his shoulders and nodded in Ben's direction, "I think he's being sincere, Poe. Don't we all deserve second chances?"</p><p>Poe opened his mouth to object, but then remembered himself. He himself had been a spice runner and his friend a First Order stormtrooper. However, with their respective second chances they had both managed to become assets to the Resistance and had successfully defended the galaxy. Although, all their crimes combined had been far less heinous than those of the man sitting across the table from them.</p><p><em>"What would Leia do?"</em> Poe silently pondered this question as he had done what felt like hundreds of times since her leadership had passed to him. Kylo Ren or Ben Solo, either way he was Leia's son. Poe knew that even in the face of everything he had done, Leia would still have held onto hope for her only child. She always held out for hope, even in the darkest of times.</p><p>"Oh, alright. Second chances…Yeah, I'm sure I'll live to regret this one," he finally spoke, grumbling.</p><p>Ben sat up straighter, surprised at the acceptance, however reluctant it was given out.</p><p>Finn smiled widely, clapping Poe on the shoulder.</p><p>"But," Poe held up his index finger towards Ben, "There have to be some kind of stipulations."</p><p>On this, the other general agreed, his smile fading as he spoke with authority, "We can't just let him waltz around base like it never happened, Rey."</p><p>Rey's face darkened faintly at her friends' words, but knew it was the only way to go forward. No one would ever understand how she saw things when it came to Ben.</p><p>"Both of you are now assigned to the Engineering Corps under Rose," Poe then looked pointedly at Ben, "I don't know if you have any skills other than destruction, but I'm sure Tico will sort you out."</p><p>Ben and Rey exchanged looks but remained silent.</p><p>Poe then looked to Rey, his gaze softening at his friend, "And Rey – he will have an escort at all times while on this base."</p><p>"Done," Ben said loudly, standing up before Rey could even make some sort of counteroffer in their favor.</p><p>Again, all parties looked shocked by his actions. Poe leaned back in his chair, arms crossed across his chest, trying to decide if the man was kissing his ass or actually sincere.</p><p>Ben reached out his arm across the table, motioning for a handshake to seal the arrangement he had agreed to. Poe considered it for a moment, then sighed and begrudgingly took it and gave it a curt shake.</p><p>Rey stood up to join the men, looking to Ben's face and noticing a hint of a smile. Before Exegol, his face, even when unmasked, had never hinted at emotions, always hiding and suppressing. Now, she could see the contentment and determination radiating from him and looped her arm through his, basking in his positive feelings.</p><p>* * *</p><p>Two weeks went by without much incident, by Resistance standards. Across the galaxy, the last First Order stragglers were being dealt with slowly but surely.</p><p>Ben and Rey had adopted a sort of rhythm between them, enjoying their day of working with engineers and mechanics, and ending with a peaceful night. Aside from the occasional dirty look or whispered insult, much of the Resistance chose to ignore Ben's presence. Those who they worked alongside tolerated him, at the very least.</p><p>Commander Rose Tico was young, petite, and fierce. Though Rey was her friend, she didn't give them any easy assignments and kept a close eye on Ben.</p><p>Ben wiped a drip of sweat from his temple with the back of his forearm, avoiding the use of his grease-streaked hand. They had been working on Poe's X-wing for nearly two days.</p><p>"Hand me that -" Before he could finish his request, Rey had handed him the part, smiling to herself. He was deep in the guts of the fighter, and now the only part of him visible to Rey was his lower half and the occasional filthy hand reaching out for a requested part or tool.</p><p>"What a view, Solo," Rey laughed before ducking under the fighter to see what his progress was. She herself had just finished with the electrical upgrades on the controls in the cockpit.</p><p>"Oh, switch off," Ben chuckled back, his voice echoing slightly from the surrounding metallic build of the ship.</p><p>"C'mon, its nearly dark. I think we can call it a day," Rey coaxed, handing him the pair of pliers he was about to ask for next.</p><p>"Almost there…Just need to connect this wire to- got it!" he declared and then lowered himself out of the ship, smiling triumphantly.</p><p>She couldn't help but be dazed by his smile, so bright in contrast to the streaks of grime that marred his broad face. He looked so much younger like this.</p><p>Ben toned down his smile to a smirk as he held out his hand to her. She looked at it for a moment before giving him a smirk of her own as she took his hand, her own just as grimy as his from a long day's work.</p><p>* * *</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Later that night...</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>Leaning back on the bed, Ben watched as Rey deftly sectioned her wet hair and tied it back into her traditional style of buns. It reminded him of his mother, and how he would sit with her and watch her reflection in the mirror as she carefully crafted one of her elaborate up-dos while simultaneously making funny faces at her young son. The memory made something deep inside of him ache. However, a warmth that had been long forgotten now surrounded the ache, dulling the pain and bringing peace. The memories still hurt, but he no longer feared them as he once did.</p><p>"Why do you always do your hair that way?" He asked suddenly, a little shocked that he had uttered the words out loud.</p><p>"Sorry, what?" Rey seemed startled and sounded almost insulted.</p><p>"I mean," he quickly clarified, "I've always wondered, why it is that you chose that particular style most days?"</p><p>"Oh, I…" Rey spoke in a hushed tone and dropped her hands, the third bun left unfinished and loose around her neck. Losing her train of thought, she stared off into the corner of the room for a moment before continuing, "It's one of the few things I remember…from my parents. My mother would do my hair like this, to match hers."</p><p>Ben suddenly could see it in his head; the flash of a memory of a woman with auburn hair tied back and a close-mouthed smile, humming softly as she tied a young girl's hair back into the top bun. Just as quickly as it began, it faded, and Ben looked to Rey, her head turned towards him now and crumpling into sadness.</p><p>Her sorrow coursed through him, as if traveling through his veins. He clambered over the bed towards where she sat at the end of it, enveloping her in a tight hug. He felt the wetness on his bare chest, and she turned her face into him, hiding it from his sight.</p><p>Ben held her like this for a few moments before lessening his grip around her and bringing his hand to her face, using his thumb to brush away a new tear that had started to trail down her cheek.</p><p>"I'm so sorry, Rey."</p><p>She could see how much he meant it in his eyes, and felt it in her soul as well. She sniffled and cast her eyes down, "Knowing now that they didn't abandon me, that they loved me and wanted to keep me safe… I just wish I knew who they were, or anything about them… Their names, even."</p><p><em>"She didn't even know their names,"</em> Ben thought, trying to imagine his life if he had known nothing about his parents or where he had come from. Sometimes, he wished, he knew a bit less about his family's complicated legacy, but it was a part of who he was. Rey had had no family to love or hate as she had struggled to survive in the Jakku desert.</p><p>He slipped his hand under her chin and lightly tilted it back towards him, looking into her pink-rimmed eyes before softly speaking, "Then let's find out."</p><p>Rey's brows furrowed in confusion and she paused a moment before answering, "What? How?"</p><p>The corner of his mouth turned up into a hopeful smile, "Maz Kanata knows more about the no-ones and nobodies of the galaxy than anyone I've ever heard of. We should start with her. There has to be someone out there who knows something, Rey."</p><p>The confused look was slowly replaced by one of pure adoration, her eyes filling with tears once again, but this time of happiness. Rey closed the distance between them and kissed him, gently gripping both sides of his jaw and slowly moving her lips against his. Responding immediately, Ben lowered his hands and lifted her body so that she was fully on the bed, her knees tucked underneath her. She was nearly standing on her knees to match his height.</p><p>A low groan emanated from the back of his throat when she parted her lips just enough for her tongue to dart out to meet his, their connection sparking wildly and making their every move in sync with the other's.</p><p>Ben could feel his temperature rising and his thoughts scattering as she continued her welcomed assault. She reached her arms around his neck, one hand running through his hair and the other leaving a light trail of fingertips up and down his shoulder blade. In kind, he moved his hands down her back, the expanse of his hands almost dwarfing the width of her torso. He placed one hand on the small of her back, and the other between her shoulder blades, bringing her body flush with his own.</p><p>The amplification of their physical intimacy had been building slowly over the past weeks, and it was becoming almost painful to sleep next to her after kissing her and roaming his hands over her body. Her inexperience made her shy away every time it felt like they were about to go over the edge, and Ben would be lying if he said it didn't take a special kind of strength to comply.</p><p>This time, however, was different. She usually let him take the lead, but this time she was the aggressor, and she was not handing over the controls. He could see the flashes of thoughts she was sharing with him, a blur of their bodies and sheets, causing the heat within him to reach a near melting point. He felt the turn of her lips upward into a smile as they continued kissing, and knew she was sensing his feelings on the matter-at-hand.</p><p>So distracted was he by his own hands on her body that he shuddered when he suddenly felt her hands drop and begin a trail down his spine, ending at the top of his sleep pants and teasingly tracing the inside of the waistband.</p><p>Rey could feel the effect her teasing was drawing from him, knowing that he was still holding back, waiting for her to make the decision of how far she was willing to go. Truthfully, she had been nervous, scared even, of the strength of her physical attraction to him, never having felt such for anyone before. Now, her headstrong nature was set loose and her mind was made up. Through the Bond, Rey tried to show him her willingness and want; no, need for him. He responded before she could finish the thought, twisting their bodies gracefully so that she was now laying stretched out on the bed and he hovered over her, holding his weight on either side of her with his forearms and his legs on either side of hers. They separated for a moment, looking at one another. The sadness in Rey's eyes having been replaced with a longing look. That was the last sign that Ben needed. The dark side, power, legacy; none of that had been what he truly sought in life. It was her. So much time had been wasted in discovering this, but Ben Solo was determined now to make up for that with every breath he had left.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So - was trying to not go too far towards the 'M rating' area. Totally has the capability to, but I'm not sure if that keeps in tone with the story as of now... Unless that's what the readers want to see!</p><p>Thank you for all that have stopped by to read, review, and/or favorite! Truly makes my day. Stay safe out there my friends!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rey awoke slowly, languishing in the luxury that was being able to sleep in. Quickly, her eyes fluttered open, the memories of the night flooding back to her. <em>It had not been a dream.</em></p>
<p><br/>Still laying on her side, sheet tucked up underneath her chin, Rey took in the sight in front of her. Ben was on his stomach and had his face half buried in the pillow, pieces of hair sticking every which way while he snored softly. The sheet was haphazardly wrapped around his lower half, his back remaining bare and feet sticking out over the edge of the bed. What she could see of his lips were curved into an almost undetectable smile, softening his angular face. Rey touched her own lips, still mildly swollen from the single most passionate experience of her life. Her cheeks heated slightly, picturing how his body had moved to meet hers, truly and physically completing their Bond to one another.</p>
<p>Rey lowered her arms and stretched out, wincing a bit when the soreness of her body made itself known. In the face of everything they had shared only hours before, the pain she experienced seemed trivial now. He had been so gentle, his concern for her comfort being paramount throughout the tryst. She didn't think one inch of her body had been missed by his touch, and just the thought of it now made pulse quicken.</p>
<p>Abruptly, she heard the change in his breathing and noticed his smile deepen, his dimples widening when his arm snaked out from underneath his pillow to reach for her. The reaction her body made to his was instantaneous, like a physical representation of an ignited lightsaber.<br/>The sheet fell away and Ben pulled her close, his eyes still closed and positioning her so that his head was tucked underneath her chin, allowing him to nuzzle into her collarbone. He inhaled deeply, relishing the feeling and smell of her bare skin and unable to resist lightly kissing the skin above her breast. Rey let out a small gasp as he turned his face and began kissing a light and slow trail down her sternum.</p>
<p>Rey squirmed, laughing quietly at the tickling sensation of his warm breath on her skin.</p>
<p>"Mmm…goodmorning," he breathed, still enjoying the closeness of her bare chest to his mouth.</p>
<p>"Goodmorning to you, too," she laughed again, this time reaching down to tilt his face upwards, giving her the opportunity to look into his sleepy, yet blissful, eyes.</p>
<p>Ben relented his teasing and released her, giving his body a long stretch accompanied with a yawn before sitting up, resting his back against the headboard of the bed.</p>
<p>"And how are you this morning?" He smirked, an uncharacteristic twinkle to his eyes as he looked down at her re-wrapping herself in the sheet.</p>
<p>"I think you know," she looked up at him and smirked back, taking his hand and letting the intoxicating feeling of closeness and contentment envelope them both.</p>
<p>Ben closed his eyes at the touch of her hand, relishing in feelings that ran from within her to him. Nothing in the galaxy could compare to this. He felt guilty feeling this balanced and happy. So much of his life had been spent clouded with the dark side, being manipulated by Darth Sidious unknowingly. He had killed, tortured, and destroyed; not to mention standing by as the First Order committed atrocities of its own. This second chance had strengthened him anew, and he was determined to live up to the standards Rey deserved. He would start with her parents. Being able to give Rey closure and a true sense of family would be another mark of good he could make on this galaxy. Ben Solo could not erase, but he could try to balance his dark deeds with light.</p>
<p>"Ben? Where are you?" Rey's voice interrupted his thoughts and she looked up at him with playful curiosity. She sat up to join him in leaning against the headboard, bringing the sheet with her to cover herself.</p>
<p>"I'm here. With you," he answered, giving a show of a small smile and leaning in and to plant a light kiss on her lips.</p>
<p>"Did you really mean it? About…my parents?" she spoke softly as their faces remained close, her voice losing the playfulness, her eyes pleading with his.</p>
<p>"Of course. You, more than anyone else, deserve to know that you come from good, never mind who your grandfather was. You deserve to know something about the people who loved you so much that they sacrificed themselves to keep you safe."</p>
<p>She nodded in reply, unable to find words. He, too, was someone who had sacrificed himself for her. Only love could bring someone to make such a sacrifice and it burned brightly between them, though left unsaid.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>The next day, instead of reporting to Rose for their daily assignment, they parted ways. Rey had promised Chewy that she would help him with the compressor on the Falcon. It was down, again. Ben still could not bring himself to face that ship or its current occupant.</p>
<p>Once she had left their room, Ben began dressing slowly as he tried to form a plan within his head. It was raining hard and the ground made a squelching noise as Ben walked quickly though the base, hoping not to be noticed much. He still was not supposed to be anywhere without some kind of chaperone. After a few hours, though, he couldn't stand to wait around in the room and did not want Rey to be disappointed if Maz had nothing to offer in the way of leads on her parents. He just hoped his lone excursion wouldn't get back to either of the Generals too quickly.</p>
<p>Even though it had only taken him a few minutes to make it to his destination, he was soaked by time he ducked under the covering that was the roof of a makeshift cantina. It was crowded today, like most days now. Laughter and conversation filled every corner as the Resistance members enjoyed the post-war thrill of the last month. Lucky for Ben, most of the crowd was focused on their drinks and friends, and not the tall, wet, former enemy making a bee line for the bar and its keeper in the back.</p>
<p>His first reunion with Maz had been strange, but not unpleasant. But he knew better than to expect to simply get off the hook with the small but mighty humanoid. Though she was not trained in the arts of the Jedi, her ability of perception within the Force was uncanny.</p>
<p>The person in question stood behind the counter, which was nearly as tall as she was. She was barking orders to one of the staff, pointing at a table in the middle of the cantina. When he reach the bar the woman peered over the counter, her glare fixed on Ben. Without missing a beat, she ducked underneath the countertop and grabbed Ben's forearm, dragging him to a backroom away from the noise of the crowd.</p>
<p>"Well, what do you need?" Maz said when she released his arm, turning and squinting suspiciously into his widened eyes of surprise.</p>
<p>"I..." Ben hadn't planned exactly on where to start. The few times he had met Maz when he was a boy had been much the same. The small woman was intimidating and had a shrewd gaze. He remembered visiting Takodana twice before with his father. Both times, he had watched as his father, the normally cool and carefree smuggler, squirm in her company when he asked whatever <em>favor</em> he needed in the moment. Still, Ben can remember the look she had whenever her eyes had found his, standing shyly behind his father's legs. It was as if she had seen him for what he was, even then.</p>
<p>"I don't have all day, kiddo. And we both know you shouldn't be here alone," she had no qualms about getting straight to the point.</p>
<p>"I need help. It's Rey's parents. I know that there has to be someone in the galaxy who knows something…anything about them. Even if we can just learn their names. I hoped you might know something or someone," He spoke quickly and shook the wet hair out of his eyes, managing to break the intense eye contact battle at the same time.</p>
<p>Maz regarded him for a moment and adjusted her goggles out of the zoomed focus they had been in to look up into his face. After the Final Order's defeat, she had heard the same story as everyone else had. Palpatine was Rey's grandfather, and her unknown parents had left her on Jakku for her safety. They were only two pieces to the very large puzzle that was Rey's entire life.</p>
<p>"There were whispers of a secret Imperial cloning operation on Coruscant during the Rebellion. I think Beaumont had it right when he mentioned dark science and cloning. Everyone believed that once the Kamino operation was shutdown after the fall of the Republic, the science was abandoned."</p>
<p>Ben knew all about Kamino and the Clone Wars. As a boy, he had been obsessed with the heroes of the Clone Wars and the adventures of his grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, before he had found out the truth about his fall to the dark side. Coruscant was a different matter. Before he was sent to train with Luke, he had been to the dense, city-covered planet countless times with his mother, on her many trips for political meetings and events, but had never once heard of a secret cloning facility. Even within the archives of the First Order, no such thing had been mentioned as far as he knew.</p>
<p>"On Exegol," Ben began, "I saw it. The cloning equipment and the Sith creatures that tended to it. I saw… clones of Snoke," he spoke slowly, putting together pieces as he remembered his single-minded fury at finding the disembodied voice within his mind.</p>
<p>Maz nodded, tapping her four fingers on her chin, "Rey's father was not likely a child born of a woman."</p>
<p>The Palpatine he had seen on Exegol was disintegrating, an insufficient clone body that held his evil essence while waiting for a proper and Force-powerful host: Rey. A clone, Ben thought; a wayward clone that had sought out a different path. Clearly, the genetic meddling of the Sith cultists had failed miserably, and this one had escaped to make a life of his own.</p>
<p>"Coruscant," Maz continued, "is where you should start. I know someone, an old Rodian who was an Empire informant turned Rebellion spy. Beero has strong ties to the underworld of Coruscant and might have some information at the cost of a few credits."</p>
<p>"Coruscant," Ben repeated, "Thank you."</p>
<p>The still-soaked man turned to leave but was halted when a leathery orange hand darts out to catch his own.</p>
<p>"I know the change within you is real, Ben Solo, but that does not forgive what has been done," she says cryptically, her eyes casting downward. He knew she was speaking of his father. Despite how she had felt about Han Solo, she still had liked that scoundrel of a man. "Do not lead that girl astray."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was quiet now, the heavy rain that had hammered on the ship's moments before had finally passed. The wiring Rey was trying to mend was proving irreparable and she sighed in frustration before pausing suddenly, sensing a disturbance. She felt him and his irritation before she saw him. She heard Chewbacca roar a greeting to Poe from the innards of the Falcon.</p><p>"Not now, Chewie," Poe said over his shoulder as he stomped up boarding ramp, the metal reverberating loudly beneath his boots, "Where is she?"</p><p>Rey hoisted herself out from within the ship to stand in front of the entrance to the Falcon, curious as to what had Poe so fired up. Momentarily, he seemed surprised at her quick appearance before the shadow of anger replaced it.</p><p>"What's wrong?" Rey questioned cautiously.</p><p>"Well? Where is he?" he crossed his arms, looking annoyed.</p><p>"Ben? What do you mean, he's back at our room –"</p><p>"You <em>sure</em> about that?" Poe cut her off, a haughty look plastered on his face, one eyebrow raised.</p><p>Rey opened her mouth to continue but paused, taking a deep breath through her nose instead. Reaching out with the Force, she looked for the unique signature that Ben emitted. He appeared in her mind like a light on a radar display, bright and pulsing, except he was not where he should be. <em>What was he thinking?</em> And better yet, what was he <em>doing</em>?</p><p>Poe watched her face as she puzzled out the situation, "Connix comm-ed and told me she saw him hustling through base in the rain. Alone."</p><p>"Poe, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation," Rey reasoned, reaching out to touch her friend lightly on the shoulder.</p><p>"There are rules, Rey. I literally let him get away with <em>murder</em>. And he can't even follow one order," he turned his shoulder away so that her fingers never found purchase.</p><p>Rey had no good answer for him and let her arm drop to her side. Ben had said nothing to suggest he had planned on leaving, and she had only been working on the Falcon for little more than an hour.</p><hr/><p>"Going somewhere, <em>Supreme Leader</em>?" Poe stepped from around the corner, just feet from the door to Rey and Ben's room, catching the latter just as he was reaching for the door.</p><p>Ben froze, his hand still in the air towards the door handle. His eyes shot to Poe's face and then shifted when Rey moved around to the right of young general. Disappointment and confusion were etched on her face.</p><p>"Ben?" Rey questioned, her voice sounding small.</p><p>"Rey-" he began, standing up straighter and letting his arm fall to his side, his fist clenching.</p><p>"I knew I'd regret this!" Poe interrupted, his hand moving towards the holstered blaster on his hip.</p><p>Rey reached her arm out and firmly gripped her friend's forearm to stop him before calmly speaking a single word, with a just little help from the Force, "Stop."</p><p>Poe Dameron immediately relaxed, his eyes glazing ever so slightly, but keeping their icy glare upon Ben.</p><p>The young woman approached her…lover? Soulmate? Equal? She placed her right hand on his chest, feeling the heat from his body even through the rain-soaked shirt that clung to his skin. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to simply feel. Within Ben she found no maliciousness nor deception, but rather a bright hope and a burning determination.</p><p>"I know where to start," Ben said, barely above a whisper.</p><p>Rey blinked, taking a moment to digest what he had just said before she whispered back, "Already? How?"</p><p>"Maz," Ben shrugged, a trademark Solo smirk breaking the tension between them.</p><p>Behind Rey, Poe threw up his hands in frustration, "Just what the kriff is going on? Is this some kind of weird Force stuff?"</p><hr/><p>Luckily, Rey had been able to persuade Poe into calming down enough to allow Ben to explain himself. Even the roguish former spice-runner softened slightly at hearing Ben's plan to delve into Rey's family history. There had been a lot of back and forth and Finn, too, had joined in his dissent with his co-general. After the heated discussion, Rey and Ben retreated to their room to await the final decision.</p><p>Finn walked quickly to keep pace with Poe, following him to a more secluded area of the caves that housed the base's communications.</p><p>"We're going to let them go, aren't we?" Poe spoke, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms, looking at the ground.</p><p>"That look on her face when she talks about her parents. I've never seen her look so vulnerable, and not that rough and tumble scavenger-Jedi girl. But I know the feeling. I don't know how I could say no to that, Poe," Finn's shoulders slumped, and he took a seat on a rock near his friend. He had never known his parents either, only the First Order that formed his earliest memories.</p><p>"I still don't trust him. And the two of them, it's always like they're having some weird silent conversation. I trust Rey, but…"</p><p>"She can handle her own. Plus, now we have an errand boy. We need intel on those crime syndicates running rampant on Coruscant. If we ever want to have peace, we'll need the Core worlds to come back to order," Finn smirked, thinking that if Solo ever got out of hand, she could give him a nice whack with her quarterstaff. He knew the sting from experience.</p><hr/><p>Back at their room, Ben closed the door with a sigh and leaned his back against it. <em>That</em> had been exhausting. He had managed to keep his fiery temper in check, but that, along with the emotions flowing through their Bond, had taken great effort. This whole diplomacy thing was hard and unfamiliar. Ben was used to the cowering submission of stormtroopers. He did not have the sharp, negotiating prowess his mother had had.</p><p>Rey fell back on the bed, arms spread out, with a sigh of her own. Ben walked over to where she lay and bent over the bed, placing his hands on the bed on either side of her with a tired smile. In response, she wrapped her arms around his neck, dragging him downwards into a kiss. It was still midday, yet the usual noise of voices, metal clanking or landing crafts were abruptly replaced by a deafening silence. All Ben could hear now was the rush of blood drumming in his ears, so loud that he was sure Rey could hear it, too. He eased himself down on his forearms, hovering only centimeters from her body.</p><p>He slid his hands beneath her back, gathering her to him. Rey yelped in surprise when he lifted her up, standing up straight at the side of the bed, her feet dangling inches from the ground. Instinctively, she hooked one of her legs around his midsection, even though she inherently knew he would never drop her.</p><p>Their kiss unbroken, Ben made a muffled groan from within his throat, but proceeded to slowly ease her down until she was standing flush with him. When he pulled back, his own mischievous smile earned a broad grin from Rey, her cheeks pink, making her look more enticing, if it was even possible. He tucked his chin and bent his head so that his forehead rested against hers and closed his eyes. She smelled of earth, rain and a hint of mechanical oil. The silence continued, interrupted only by the nearly inaudible sounds of their breathing. Ben felt a flutter, a slight caress against his mind by her own. No words were spoken over their Bond, but rather colors, images, and feelings.</p><p>After a few moments, Ben let out a gentle sigh before speaking softly, "We should pack for the trip. And make sure the ship is ready and supplied."</p><p>A pouty huff came from Rey and Ben couldn't help but breath out a small laugh. He kissed the tip of her nose and took a step back, running his hands from the sides of her neck and down her arms to her hands.</p><p>Rey looked down at their interlocked fingers and looked up at him through her lashes, blushing furiously, "To be continued?"</p><p>Ben gulped noticeably, clearly rethinking his more practical afternoon plans. He released her hands and quickly grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her back in for a deep kiss. When he pulled back again, he smiled down at her.</p><p>"To be continued," Ben agreed.</p><hr/><p>Ben followed Rey, her carrying two bags filled with their small assortment of clothing and Ben carrying an oversized box full of rations. As they neared the Millennium Falcon, a knot of anxiety pitted within his stomach. Rey noticed the disturbance coming from him and stopped in her tracks, turning to look at him over her shoulder, her eyes full of concern. She gave him a small smile of encouragement, and some of his edginess dissipated.</p><p>Chewbacca walked down the ramp as Rey approached, roaring a happy greeting and nodding his head, conveying that the ship was ready to go. Ben stopped a few paces behind her, waiting for the awkward moment he had been avoiding since they had arrived on base.</p><p>Rey continued up the ramp, leaving the boys to hash it out amongst themselves. The large wookie fell silent and stared into Ben's eyes. Ben remembered how huge Chewie had seemed when he had been small, a giant uncle that he had climbed and wrestled with on this very ship. Now, he was only a head shorter and much more intimidated.</p><p>Chewie broke eye contact and emitted a small noise before turning around and waving a huge, hairy hand, motioning for Ben to follow. Confused, Ben followed, placing the box down at the top of the ramp and looking to Rey who waited with wide eyes. He shrugged, continuing to follow and Rey joined him.</p><p>Chewie showed them to his quarters where he dug in a low drawer. He sounded a groan of success and pulled out a small holo-chip. In the corner, R2-D2, who had been resting in low-power mode suddenly activated, a slew of beeps gaining their attention. Chewie placed a hand on the droid when it rolled over towards him and inserted the chip into the correct slot.</p><p>Still confused, both Rey and Ben watched in silence as a flickering blue light was projected from the faithful droid. A hologram began to play, and the shriek of a child was heard. They watched as a small, chubby faced toddler with dark hair ran into view and collided with the leg of a wookie, wrapping his small arms around it and giggling. In the holo, Chewie bent into frame and swept the child in his arms, almost hiding him from view with his long hair, and earning further squeals of delight from the little version of Ben.</p><p>"Ben! Chewie?!" A man's voice yelled off camera, and the hologram flickered out.</p><p>Rey felt Ben's anguish at the sound of his father's voice. She moved to take his hand and looked at him, seeing that he was still staring at the spot the hologram had played from. To her left, Chewie let out a mournful grunt.</p><p>Ben turned towards the wookie that had been one of the central figures of his life from <em>before</em>. How could one apologize for such heinous acts with a simple, useless pile of words?</p><p>"I could never be sorrier for anything that I've ever done than I am for what I…for what I did to Dad," his voice sounded small, and it broke on the last word. His gaze fell to the floor, unable to look into his pseudo-uncle's eyes and say the words at the same time. The shame and sadness in the room was palpable.</p><p>Ben couldn't see what Rey saw and was too consumed with his own self-hatred to sense Chewie's current emotions. Rey could feel no anger or malice and knew that Chewie had shown them this for a reason. He was trying to show Ben that he remembers the good within him, even if what he did was unforgivable.</p><p>Chewbacca nodded to Rey, and turned to leave, R2-D2 rolling after him, warbling questions at the wookie.</p><p>This moment needed no words, so Rey simply took Ben's hand, and led him back outside, where the sun was getting low on the horizon, giving the forest an amber glow. She took a deep breath and her lips curved up into a smile, the clean, earthy air of the jungle never getting old to her.</p><p>An idea came to her just then, and she unhooked both Luke and Leia's sabers that had been clipped to her belt. Before Ben could utter a question, she shoved his mother's lightsaber into his hand and ran off towards the training course.</p><p>Ben turned the weapon over in his hand and looked after Rey, who had turned to shout over her shoulder with a mischievous smirk, "How about a rematch, Solo?"</p><p>The playful challenge quickly made his sadness shrink to a smaller place within him and he hurriedly began to follow her, a small smirk of his own appearing on his face.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ben almost faltered at the strength of the blow Rey landed, causing them to lock in a blue cross of sabers. Her playful face had suddenly turned fierce, and she gritted her teeth, her face only inches from his own. He took a few steps back, nimbly parrying before he pressed his own attack, causing a few singed branches to fall to the ground around them. It was like a dance, a show of strength, but also of how balanced they had become. The flashes of blue began to blend together, and Ben couldn't help but notice the stark contrast it was from the angry red and blue sparks that had once been between them.</p>
<p>Rey took a wide swipe and Ben leapt back, letting out a small laugh and deactivating his lightsaber while holding up his hands in surrender. The hum of Rey's own blade was loud in the surrounding quiet of the deep jungle. Her chest heaved from the exertion, but still she managed a lopsided grin, knowing full well that neither of them had won or lost. Her thumb moved to deactivate her own saber when something caught her eye behind Ben, making her freeze.</p>
<p>Quickly, he noticed her gaze was not at him, but behind him, and he tensed, igniting his lightsaber once again and whirling around to face whatever had crept up on them. The jungle around them had darkened with the oncoming night, and the glowing blue figure stood out like a beacon as it approached them. Ben walked backwards, closing the distance between himself and Rey, keeping his eyes on the figure. Somehow though, he knew it was not there to harm them.</p>
<p>As it came closer, the figure began to take on more detailed features, showing the face of a young man with a long scar over one eye.</p>
<p>Ben felt Rey's hand lightly touch his arm, a silent question, but he remained both entranced and puzzled as he continued to study the figure. There was something so familiar and yet so foreign about the silent specter.</p>
<p>"Ben," The ghost stopped a few feet in front of them, a wry smile visible on his face.</p>
<p>"Who….?" As he began to speak the question, a sudden sensation ran through him, and a deep sense of realization dawned on him. "Grandfather?"</p>
<p>He felt the shock run through Rey as well, her hand gripping his upper arm a little more in wariness.</p>
<p>Anakin Skywalker let out a small laugh of acknowledgement and nodded his head.</p>
<p>Normally, the unnatural quiet would have alarmed him, but Ben felt a harmony from within the Force, an overwhelming blanket of peace surrounding them all.</p>
<p>"For so long I spoke to you, <em>pleaded</em> for your guidance, but you never answered. Why are you here <em>now</em>?"</p>
<p>Anakin frowned while crossing his arms, the action darkening his boyish looks, "You were speaking to a version of me that has long since been gone. You were not yet ready to truly understand."</p>
<p>Rey watched this exchange in trepidation, knowing how complicated the emotions were around Ben and his family. She thought of the warped, melted mask that she had found in his quarters on his ship that night in Kijimi. He had it placed on a pedestal, an idol for which he had framed his life around, along with the malevolent aid of Snoke. Now, that path had been shattered just as the pedestal had shattered with the blow of their blades - together.</p>
<p>Ben remained silent, contemplating.</p>
<p>Anakin spoke again, "But now, you have achieved something that took me decades to even fathom, Grandson, and even then it was too late for me. You have turned your conflict to love and balance and light. You now have endless opportunities to live your life as your own, and not as a pawn in the Emperor's game, as we both have been."</p>
<p>The glowing Skywalker patriarch then turned his gaze towards Rey, his face softening. Her frightened grip had loosened, and she had trailed her hand down to Ben's, linking their fingers together without taking her eyes off of the being in front of them.</p>
<p>"Rey," Anakin continued softly, "none of the balance in both my grandson and the galaxy could have been realized without you. You are very much like my…" he faltered for a moment before finishing, "…my Padme. I am proud of you both."</p>
<p>A blush crept into Rey's cheeks, and her chest felt tight with emotion from the praise they had both just received. She looked up to Ben's face, and could see his profile relaxing, his lips twitching upwards into a smile. Through the Bond, she felt a surge of warmth and a swelling of pride and recognition that he had so yearned for at last.</p>
<p>Words were swimming through Ben Solo's head, but nothing seemed to fit for a reply. All his life, he had sought to find his proper place within the legacy of the Skywalker family. The darkness in him had been amplified and manipulated by the Emperor through his creation, Snoke, and he mistakenly had sought out to be the wrong version of the right man. Now, he was half of a dyad, but had never felt more whole.</p>
<p>Ben took a step forward towards his grandfather before finally speaking, "Thank you…But, my mother…Do you? Have you? Will you tell her –"</p>
<p>Anakin lightly laughed, his face full of love and understanding at his only grandchild's jumbled reply, but knew what was being asked, "I have seen and spoken with her, yes. And she knows, Ben, she knows with all her soul."</p>
<p>Ben only nodded and squeezed Rey's hand tighter, both assuring and needing reassurance from her as well.</p>
<p>The figure in front of them began to shimmer and fade before Anakin spoke once more, his voice becoming quieter, "I am with you both, always. We <em>all</em> are."</p>
<p>Ben toyed with the hilt of his mother's lightsaber as they walked silently, hand in hand, back towards the base. He felt noticeably lighter, another weight lifted from his heart.</p>
<p>Rey, too, felt a lifting of a weight from her own chest. She had not realized how much she had yearned for someone to be proud of her, to say the words out loud. It made the ache at the loss of her parents all the more apparent.</p>
<p>The Bond spoke for itself, and once they made it back to their quarters, they maintained the peaceful silence. They showered together, not requiring intimacy, but simply the closeness of one another as they washed the sweat and grime of the day away. Tomorrow, they would leave and face a whole galaxy to search for the mysteries of Rey's life.</p>
<p>They laid down on the bed, legs linking together and finding a puzzle-piece fit between their bodies. Quickly, Rey fell asleep, and Ben could hear her soft breaths in the quiet of the dark room. He was both eager and anxious about the days ahead. Their failure would put them no worse off than their current state. Their success, however, would be priceless to the person he wanted the happiness for most.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"How long will it take us to get to Coruscant?" Rey asked nonchalantly, walking up from behind Ben, who sat in one of the pilot chairs.</p><p>"Another day or so," Ben answered, glancing up at her over his shoulder.</p><p>From outside the cockpit an electric zap and a loud wookie roar of curses could be heard, making both of them stifle a laugh. Chewie, the only other member along for their adventure, had been trying to change a blown fuse for well over an hour, causing several more blown fuses in the process.</p><p>Rey leaned her midsection lightly against the back of the chair, her arms wrapping loosely around Ben's neck. She watched as stars and planets blurred, wondering at their beauty. She was jerked out of her momentary trance by an alarm from the console. She watched as Ben's hands followed the same path she was already taking in her mind, deftly turning several knobs to stabilize the electrical overload. Chewie groaned an apology from outside and Ben pulled a lever to silence the alarm. Upon pulling it into the correct position, the lever handle snapped off, causing the pilot to emit a loud groan of frustration.</p><p>"Piece of junk…" He grumbled, placing the broken piece into Rey's already outstretched hand.</p><p>She pursed her lips, trying to hide her amusement while taking the broken piece from him. He rolled his eyes in response, but when his fingers brushed hers, his annoyance at the aging freighter was replaced with Rey's playful emotions - as if he could see the laughable scene from her eyes.</p><p>Simultaneously, they each turned back to their own task, with Ben resuming the piloting and Rey turning on her heel to tinker with the broken handle. As the peaceful silence of the cockpit enveloped him, Ben thought about how Rey would likely return shortly with something even better than the original. As much as they were both similar in their aptitude for mechanics and piloting, only Rey could turn such junk into treasure.</p><p>Several hours later, Chewie took over the pilot's seat to give Ben a break. Aside from the occasional mechanical whirr or beep, the ship was silent. In the captain's quarters, both Rey and Ben sat facing one another, eyes closed in deep meditation. Previously, they had each been able to see glimpses of the other's memories, but they came in sporadic flashes. Ben had suggested they now try something new.</p><p>Within her mind, Rey suddenly saw a new surrounding begin to envelope her. She found herself in a brightly lit and somewhat ostentatious hall with a long staircase in the middle that led up to a second floor balcony. The sounds of conversation and light music filled the air and she now could see all manner of beings around the hall, formally dressed and bejeweled. The room became hushed and everyone's attention turned to the staircase, where a youthful Leia gracefully descended while holding onto the hand of a small, wide-eyed boy.</p><p>Rey smiled outwardly, even while in meditation, at the vision of Ben as a child from within his own memory. When Leia and young Ben reached the bottom of the staircase, Leia leaned down to whisper in her son's ear. Whatever she had said had caused him to stand a little straighter and nod his head.</p><p>He looked to be about six years old, and had already mastered a brooding facial expression beneath his dark mop of hair. The scene continued as Rey watched, enraptured. Little Ben let go of his mother's hand as she greeted a group of richly clad dignitaries. Stiffly, Ben made his way through the crowd, finding the banquet table. He grabbed a handful of exotic-looking sweets and wandered over to the edge of the room away from the crowd. He was joyfully munching away at his sugar-filled contraband when Rey watched him suddenly drop it all on the ground as a glazed look of shock took over his face. Through the memory, Rey could sense the overwhelming darkness and hear a disembodied, insidious voice call to the child. The small boy's eyes squeezed shut and his lower lip began to quiver slightly, as if he might cry.</p><p>The heavy fog of the darkness suddenly vanished when the child heard the voice of his father call out, "Hey, kid! There you are."</p><p>Even as a child, Ben regained his composure quickly with a smile of relief.</p><p>"Got into the desserts, huh kid?" Han Solo said with his signature smirk.</p><p>Ben nodded in reply, looking at the treats he had dropped on the floor in front of him.</p><p>Han looked around secretively before whispering, "Well let's go grab a couple more, before your mother finds us. C'mon, Ben."</p><p>The dark moment forgotten, little Ben happily followed his father before the memory began to fade away within Rey's mind.</p><p>Rey's eyes flew open, blinking rapidly to adjust to the low light of the room. Across from her, Ben watched her expression with a wariness she had not seen before.</p><p>"Was that -?" She began</p><p>"The first time I consciously heard the voice speaking, yes," Ben finished quietly.</p><p>"You were so young," Rey lamented, reaching for his hand and stroking his forearm comfortingly.</p><p>Ben took a deep breath, placing her hand back on her own knee, "I want to show you one more."</p><p>Again, they both closed their eyes as their breathing became in sync with one another, deep and slow.</p><p>Rey focused, and as if she were entering a tunnel, a new scene played before her eyes that surprised her. She found herself staring into her own frightened and defiant eyes. He was showing her the time he had her strapped to an interrogation chair from when they had first crossed paths. This time, Rey found that she was looking through Ben's eyes, feeling his own emotions and thoughts in the memory.</p><p>"<em>Don't be afraid, I feel it, too," </em>Kylo Ren spoke calmly as he reached into Rey's mind. The sensation of seeing into her own mind from another's perspective was dizzying. She remembered her own fear and confusion in the moment, but was surprised to see a mirrored fear and confusion from within him, too. As he sifted through her thoughts, she felt his shock at experiencing her power in the light. That first brief connection they had experienced had created a shift within the mighty Kylo Ren, creating a chip in the darkness he had shielded himself in for so long.</p><p>The connection ended abruptly with a snap, as if a stretched band had been broken from too much tension. Kylo Ren's hand recoiled as the Rey restrained before him pushed back into his own mind.</p><p>She could feel the racing of his heart, the panic, and the curiosity he now felt towards her. Neither had known it then, but it had been the beginning of the end of Kylo Ren. From this memory, their Bond had been born.</p><p>Though this memory had been painful to re-live, it now took on a new and peaceful connotation within Rey. Slowly, she opened her eyes, again looking into Ben's slightly worried face.</p><p>Gracefully, she uncrossed her legs and closed the small gap between them, kneeling next to him and placing a hand on either side of his face. She smiled widely at him before pulling him in for a long kiss, letting her hands trail down to his neck and then shoulders. She could feel his mouth turn up into a small smile as they deepened the kiss and gasped when he pulled her into his lap. Slowly, Ben stood up out of the cross legged position and maintained his hold on her, carrying her bridal style without breaking their kiss. Ben waved the hand that was under Rey's knees to open the door leading to the bedroom. They both laughed when he tripped over the foot of the bed, causing them to topple onto the pillowed mattress. The laughter stopped when Ben repositioned, pinning Rey's arms above her head with both his hands and a little aid from the Force. He smirked and raised an eyebrow in a silent challenge to Rey to try and escape.</p><p>Rey gave a show of a useless struggle, but they both knew that if she wanted to break free, she would've. Looking up into his eyes, the former scavenger gave him an uncharacteristically sultry gaze. That look fanned the flames already raging deep within his core, and Ben was lost in a momentary stupor. Taking advantage, Rey slipped free and rolled them over so that she was now the aggressor, enjoying the look of surprise on her lover's face.</p><p>She leaned down close to his face and whispered, "<em>You know I can take whatever I want."</em></p><hr/><p>
  <em>The next day…</em>
</p><p>Rey reached above her position in the co-pilot's chair to flip a switch and watched Ben next to her change the ship from auto-pilot to manual mode. Soon, they would enter the atmosphere of Coruscant.</p><p>She thought she had seen her fair share of planets since leaving Jakku; water planets, jungle planets, desert wasteland planets - enough that nothing more would surprise her. As the surface of Coruscant became clearer as they descended into the atmosphere, she found herself speechless from the sight. The planet's entire surface was covered with levels and levels of a massive and endless city, with more beings than she could ever have imagined to exist in the entire galaxy. The more details that came into view, the more amazed Rey was.</p><p>Having been there several times with his mother, Ben was somewhat familiar with Coruscant. After the fall of the Empire, there had been frequent trips with and without him to the planet by Leia. The planet, which had served as the capitol and center for many eras of changing control, was where many came to begin to build the nascent government and ward off the gangs fighting for the power vacuum created by the fall of the Emperor and the First Order.</p><p>Both of them felt the other slowly losing focus in their own thoughts, and they shared a quick glance and smile before turning to refocus their efforts on making a smooth landing. They found an open landing dock near the former Galactic Senate Building. Rey began powering down the <em>Millenium Falcon</em>, trying to calm her many thoughts that were now racing through her head about the beginnings of this new journey. A loud hiss signalled that Chewie had lowered the boarding ramp, and she could see his furry figure from outside the viewport, waving them to follow suit. She seemed frozen for a moment, taking in the overwhelming sights before her and wondering if perhaps blissful ignorance was better than the disappointment that might be ahead of her. Before worry took a permanent hold, she felt Ben's warm hand encompass hers and she felt that small light of hope grow for a brief moment.</p><p>Ben pulled her up to a standing position and smoothed a piece of stray hair that had loosed itself from her buns, "Let's get started."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks so much for sticking with me so far! Please leave a review or kudos to let me know if you're enjoying it! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Chapter 11</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Rey stuck close to Ben as they navigated a crowded lower level marketplace within a poorer sector of the city planet. After asking around and greasing a few palms with credits, they had a lead on Beero, the Rodian that Maz had directed them towards. </p><p>Along with finding information, they had also been tasked by Poe to keep an eye out for the gangs that were now operating openly all over the planet, emboldened by being released from the First Order’s iron fist. </p><p>As they walked, Rey noticed those beings that caused a wake in their path, people clearly withdrawing in fear from members of ruling gangs. She made a mental note to attempt a later investigation with Ben, and maybe Chewie, too, for a little added muscle. </p><p>After a few minutes of leaving the marketplace, they made it to a bustling cantina. Even from outside, the music was loud, making conversation hard. The pair squeezed their way in, ignoring an older male Zabrak trying to sell them death sticks. In one corner, they noticed a pale Rodian playing sabacc with a few other unsavory types. </p><p>Ben took the lead, walking up and exuding the same intimidating power he had been known for as Kylo Ren. One look and a subtle show of the lightsaber clipped to his belt, and the others scattered, leaving their target alone and annoyed at ending his winning hand. The old Rodian looked weathered, one of his antennae missing and several jagged scars marking the left side of his face. </p><p>“Are you Beero?” Ben asked, speaking loudly to be heard over the blaring music,</p><p>“And if I am?” the Rodian answered gruffly, his black, pupil-less eyes shining brightly, even in the dimness of the cantina. </p><p>“We have a few questions,” Rey spoke up now, coming to stand next to Ben and trying a softer approach.</p><p>The Rodian squirmed uncomfortably, cornered in the booth by both of them. After a moment he sighed and nodded before pointing to a hallway leading away from the main room of the cantina. </p><p>Ben and Rey stepped back, allowing the humanoid to lead them to a back room, the music still audible but dulled. The room was clearly a storage area, with a few empty barrels and a few dusty chairs scattered about. The Rodian shuffled over to one of the chairs and sat down before crossing his arms and demanding, “Well then? What do you two want with me?”</p><p>“Maz -“ Ben began.</p><p>“Kanata? Oi, I paid her back! With interest!” Beero said indignantly, throwing up his hands.</p><p>“Er, no. That’s not why we’re here,” Ben scratched the back of his head awkwardly, the interruption causing him to momentarily lose his train of thought. </p><p>Rey stepped forward, lightly placing a hand on Ben’s upper arm, the contact keeping her emotions grounded, “We were hoping you had some information… about cloning here on Coruscant… by the Emperor.”</p><p>The Rhodian remained silent, seemingly stunned. He looked towards the door, but knew he was too slow to make an escape from two much younger lightsaber-wielding humans. </p><p>“How do you -?” Beero finally broke his silence.</p><p>“Maz,” Ben interjected, shrugging.</p><p>“That woman knows everything,” Beero mumbled. </p><p>“So? Do you?” Rey asked, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice. </p><p>After another moment of silence, the Rhodian finally sighed before answering, “Back in the day, I used to trade tips on coaxium stashes to the Empire for credits here and there. They needed it for some top secret project for the Emperor.”</p><p>Ben and Rey exchanged looks, hopeful. </p><p>“For years with the gig, I never asked any questions, just took my payment and went about my merry way,” he continued, head down and absentmindedly picking at threads on his tattered pants, “But one time, when one of the troopers went to get a lieutenant, he just so happened to leave the door open. I still don’t think I can fully describe what I saw. It was a small operation and I could tell it was somethin’ secret.”</p><p>Ben had an idea of what the old Rhodian had seen. His own memory of his first venture to Exegol came to mind. He cleared his throat, unsure of how to proceed with asking permission for something he had done dozens of times to prisoners - but that had been against their will and he had been a different person.</p><p>“Can I - would you let me see?” Ben raised his hand and gestured towards Beero’s head. </p><p>The Rhodian considered him for a moment before nodding and closing his eyes. </p><p>It was so much easier to enter a willing mind. It was like walking through an open door rather than kicking down door after door to reveal an individual’s hidden memories. He barely had to concentrate to see the memory Beero held from that day. </p><p>He was in a hallway with bright fluorescent lighting, and a black metal door had been left ajar slightly, letting an eerie glow peek through. Beero slowly pushed it open just enough to get a view of the rectangular room, either side lined with tall cylindrical tanks. Two tanks held what looked to be adult human males, while two others had much younger versions. Ghoulish beings much like Ben had witnessed on Exegol slowly shuffled around, injecting various substances into different tanks and making notes on data pads. Suddenly, footsteps approached from outside the room and Beero half stumbled to the place he had been left standing by the trooper. After that, Ben let go of the memory and exited peacefully, leaving no pain for either party. </p><p>Rey watched Ben’s face carefully, watching for any hint of hope in what he had just gleaned from the memory. He gave her a nod with a small smile, and she breathed a sigh of relief. </p><p>“Can you take us to this entrance?” Ben asked, redirecting his gaze to Beero. </p><p>The being in question grumbled under his breath and scratched at his one antenna before nodding with a sigh of resignation, “I’m guessing’ you two wouldn’t leave me alone ‘til I did, would ya?”</p><p>In reply, Rey knelt before him, taking one of his green scaly hands and spoke softly, “Thank you.”</p><hr/><p>It had been getting late in the day, and the three had agreed to reconvene again at this same cantina in the early afternoon the next day. From there, they would go down several levels into the city near the remains of the Imperial Palace made of the former Jedi Temple. </p><p>Back on the <em> Falcon </em>, Chewie wandered the cabin making adjustments while Ben and Rey were again meditating in the captain’s quarters. </p><p>“Just one more time? Please?”</p><p>“Rey, I’ve already shown you three times. It’s barely anything. We’ll know for sure tomorrow!” Ben tried not to laugh and his cheek dimpled with the smile he was holding in at her eagerness. He had gone over the memory from Beero with her the moment they got to the ship, and like a child who had just seen a holofilm for the first time, she wanted to watch it over and over again. </p><p>This was the first time Ben had ever seen Rey pout. He thought it was endearing and a true sign of how comfortable they had come to be with one another, able to freely share their vulnerabilities without fear. </p><p>In an instant, Ben called his mother’s lightsaber to his hand, igniting it in a challenge with a brazen Solo smile. In turn, she did the same to Luke’s saber and began to spar with Ben, backing him out of the room and into the main cabin.</p><p>The clashing and humming of the sabers caught Chewie’s attention and he let out a frustrated groan when he found them, throwing his hands up. </p><p>They both stopped, laughing and breathing hard, extinguishing their sabers. </p><p>“Sorry, Chewie, we’ll take it outside next time!” Rey laughed, red faced and brightly smiling at the wookie in apology. </p><p>Their antics had successfully dislodged Rey from her anxious fretting about what tomorrow would bring. When she looked at Ben again, he was smiling wide, his hair wild and she thought he had never looked more handsome. A calming feeling overcame her just then, and with that she knew something big was coming, and for once, it was good. </p><hr/><p>
  <em> The next day… </em>
</p><p> </p><p>In a single file line, three hooded figures and one wookie made their way through a maze of alleys and ramshackle houses to what looked like a dead end. Rey, Ben and Chewbacca watched as Beero knocked around a rusted metal plate until he found what he was looking for, and a door that had been covered by a tattered tarp was revealed. The metal groaned and grinded as it opened slowly, clearly having gone unused for many years.</p><p>The old Rhodian hobbled in, slowly leading them down a hallway that became dimly lit upon sensing their motion. The lights flickered above, creating an eerie scene. They came to a large door, similar to a blast door on a ship’s hangar when Beero stopped, turning around to face the trio he was leading.</p><p><br/>“Any bright ideas how we’ll get through this?” He asked gruffly.</p><p>Ben shared a glance with Rey before unclipping his mother’s saber from his belt and igniting it, sinking it to the hilt into the door, causing the metal to hiss and bubble as he slowly carved. It was slow going, so Rey, too, joined the effort with her own saber, until finally they had created a hole large enough for them all to squeeze through. </p><p>They found themselves in another hallway, but one with a much more manageable and open door to the next chamber. Rey and Ben both looked around, noting that it was the very same hallway from Beero’s memory. </p><p>Right on cue, the Rhodian pointed to the single door in their path and spoke, “What I saw, it was in there.”</p><p>Silently, as if afraid to disturb the quiet of the underground facility they found themselves in, Ben, Rey and Chewie walked into the next room.</p><p>The room itself was not overly large, but it was in complete disarray. It appeared that there had been a hasty evacuation, most likely abandoned after the fall of the Empire, and unbeknownst to the entire galaxy, moved to Exegol. Along the wall on either side was a row of three large tanks. All but one was cracked or shattered entirely. The one that was left intact still held a small amount of gelatinous goo at the bottom.</p><p>“It smells worse than the insides of a Tauntaun in here,” Ben said to no one in particular, barely above a whisper.</p><p>Chewie grunted in agreement and Rey gave him a confused look, one eyebrow raised in question.</p><p>Ben just shrugged and gave a small chuckle, “Just something my Dad would say.”</p><p>Assorted medical devices and other strange equipment lay strewn about. In the middle of the room, there was a circular desk, with several broken holo-schematic screens where the Sith Eternal scientists had recorded their progress on creating strand-casts as a new vessel for their Emperor’s spirit. Ben picked up one of four scattered datapads and brushed the dust off the screen with the sleeve of his shirt. Amazingly, it flickered on, though it was clear that some of the data had been successfully erased or corrupted during the evacuation. Rey came to stand next to Ben, and a bluish glow cast upon their faces from the screen in the dim lighting of the chamber. </p><p>On the datapad, they found notes of various techniques and combinations of genetic engineering methods that had been utilized and what had resulted from them. The first clone, or strand-cast, was pictured with large red lettering at the bottom reading: TERMINATED. Ben continued scrolling until Rey stopped him at one image.</p><p>“Wait,” she said loudly, her voice echoing within the chamber, “This one. He feels...familiar.”</p><p>Rey proceeded to take the datapad from Ben’s hands and stared into the image of the young man labeled experiment AD-6. Underneath his picture were the words: UNKNOWN LOCATION. Scrolling further down, she found a small blurb of notes that read:</p><p>
  <em> Alteration of DNA sequence in chromosome 13, noted as experiment AD-6. Survived accelerated aging and basic memory graft. Powerless, exhibits no affinity for Force. Scheduled for termination by - </em>
</p><p>The notes ended there, corrupted. Rey touched the image, studying the details of the man’s face. The memory flash came again, like it once had when pushed to remember by Ben, still Kylo Ren at the time.</p><p>
  <em> “You’ll be safe here. I promise.” The man spoke with tears in his pale, blue eyes as her mother hugged her tightly for the last time. </em>
</p><p>“Rey?” Ben asked, worried at the glazed expression that had taken over her face.</p><p><br/>“It's him. This is my <em> father </em>.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*Cue dramatic music here*</p><p>Here we go, folks! I could really use some feedback here since I'm about to go on a slightly complex adventure with these two! (Don't worry, more fluff will be coming, too.)</p><p>I would be so grateful if you could leave a review or even a PM. Thanks again for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Thanks for being so patient! I'm pretty excited for where I'm planning on going with this - hope you are all ready for the ride!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ben walked through the same marketplace they had gone through that first day they had arrived on Coruscant, keeping an eye out for the alleged gang members Rey had noticed before. He was alone, hooded, and trying to keep a low profile as he walked the streets of the lower levels. It was odd, being without Rey, he thought to himself. For months now, they had never been more than a few hundred yards apart and the physical distance between them at that moment made his head ache. Their Bond was very demanding, it would seem. For someone who had been a loner most of his life, this was a disconcerting feeling.</p><p>Rey had stayed on the <em>Falcon</em>, pouring over the several datapads they had been able to recover from the Emperor's clandestine underground operation. When Ben had awoken this morning, it had been to the sight of Rey sitting on the floor by the bed, an empty cup of caf beside her, re-reading the details and attempting to see if she could recover some of the corrupted data. It was clear she had been awake for hours already as her eyes were lined with a tinge of red from lack of adequate sleep.</p><p>Ben did not need the Bond to tell him that her mind was racing and emotions were high. Instead of tearing her away from her pursuit, he offered to scout for some intel to pass onto Poe by himself. She began to argue, but he could tell her heart wasn't in it, and she was easily convinced to stay behind.</p><p>He carried on, picking out a suspicious-looking male Torgruta that had walked into a shop nearby in the marketplace. When he got closer, he sensed that the storefront was really a disguise for something darker. He noted the coordinates and recorded them on his comlink that relayed through the <em>Falcon</em>'s transmitter.</p><p>A couple hours and several city levels covered, Ben started his way back to the <em>Falcon</em> and Rey. In the deeper levels, the climate was much colder, and now he was sweating from the heat of the top level, throwing back his hood for relief. Hungry and tired, he was looking forward to getting back to the ship quickly. He was nearing the dock where the ship was located when the comlink began to beep loudly. Thinking it was Rey, he answered quickly. However, to his annoyance, it was Poe.</p><p>"<em>Pilot</em>," Ben gruffly acknowledged, pausing his trek home and shielding his eyes in the bright sunlight of the surface of Coruscant.</p><p>Surprisingly, Poe refrained from making a smart remark in reply and simply got down to business, "<em>Solo</em>. We received the intel you sent us. I was expecting it to be from Rey, though. But...er...thank you."</p><p>Ben was silent for a moment, taken aback by the positive acknowledgement before answering, "Just keeping to our end of the deal. We found what we were looking for...sort of."</p><p>"Rey's parents?" Poe sounded shocked even through the crackling of the comlink relay.</p><p>"Her father, at least. By the way...you wouldn't happen to know someone who can recover erased datapads, do you?" Ben sighed, he couldn't believe he was asking Poe for help, but the civility of their conversation encouraged him.</p><p>Ben had barely finished his question before Poe was already saying a name, "Ubba. He's the best hacker in the galaxy. Used to help out my old crew. He lives on Corellia, I'll send you the coordinates."</p><p>They didn't exactly blossom into the best of friends, but Ben was still grateful, deciding to end on a cordial note, "Thank you, General."</p><hr/><p>"Corellia?" Rey asked, looking up from her pile of datapads that she had since moved to the galley area of the ship.</p><p>Chewbacca interjected with a howl.</p><p>"Han was from Corellia?"</p><p>Ben nodded with a slightly pained smile on his face, "Poe said he has a contact there, one who can help us crack these datapads."</p><p>"You and Poe spoke? Without arguing?" Rey crossed her arms, smirking.</p><p>"Mostly," Ben shrugged, a small smirk of his own appearing.</p><p>Rey smiled up at him brightly, her dimples showing easily. She felt so full of hope and happiness and couldn't resist wrapping her arms around him tightly, pinning his arms to his sides.</p><p>A moment later, Rey emitted a large, involuntary yawn with her face pressed against his chest. As if it had been a signal, Ben lightly broke her loose grip around him and bent down, sweeping her legs out from under her and carrying her bridal-style.</p><p>"Time for bed," Ben announced, turning to walk towards their room.</p><p>"Ben, I- !" She began, a modest blush and smile creeping onto her visibly tired face.</p><p>"For <em>sleep</em>, Rey," Ben let out a small laugh, amused by her deepening blush.</p><p>"I can still walk, you know!" She protested, poking his chest.</p><p>"Couldn't take any chances," He joked before gently laying her on the bed, quickly tucking her under the blankets before she could make any last objections.</p><p>Her eyelids were already beginning to droop when he bent down, softly smoothing her hair out of her face and placing a light kiss on her lips.</p><p>As quietly as he could, he closed the door to their quarters behind him, and walked towards the cockpit. The deafening silence of space surrounded him, only interrupted by the occasional electronic noise or groan from the aging freighter. He found Chewie at the controls, peering at the galaxy in front of him with a contemplative expression. Without a word, Ben took the co-pilot seat next to him, briefly glancing over at the wookie to see his reaction. Chewie clearly knew he was there, but did not take his eyes off the expanse of space through the cockpit's viewport.</p><p>For some time, the two remained quiet next to one another. The Force around them was tense, but not angry or uncomfortable to Ben. It felt as if the silence was willing itself to be broken.</p><p>Chewbacca complied, uttering a conversational growl with a question.</p><p>"Yeah, he must have told the story of how you two met a hundred times. But I know it was probably you who saved him in that fighting pit despite his version of the story," Ben answered lightheartedly, finding that it was almost cathartic to reminisce with his former uncle. He couldn't change the past, nor ever be fully forgiven for it, but Ben knew he would go to great lengths to show the people around him his true self.</p><hr/><p>Their landing on Corellia was uneventful and largely ignored. Poe had given them a location within Coronet City, a bustling urban center. Though the days of building TIE fighters and Star Destroyers for the Empire and First Order were long over, the shipyards remained busy.</p><p>Rey walked alongside Ben, admiring the many shapes and sizes of speeders and ships that were being manufactured around her. More than once, Ben had to catch her before she tripped due to her gaze being everywhere except in front of herself.</p><p>A short walk from the famed shipyards, Ben and Rey found themselves at a row of multilevel apartments on the street Poe had marked for them. Ben stopped a lanky teenage boy to ask for Poe's contact, and had barely uttered the name before the boy smirked and pointed to a human male leaning against a nearby wall, intently tinkering with some sort of small electronic device. He was dark skinned and of average height, although still several inches shorter than Ben. He had cropped blue-green hair and an odd necklace with several strange key-like pendants.</p><p>"Are you Ubba?" Rey spoke as she approached the man.</p><p>He was startled at first, looking up from his task with wide eyes, glancing from Rey to Ben. When he saw that they meant no harm, he smiled kindly.</p><p>Taking the smile as a 'yes', Rey continued, "We're friends of Poe, we were hoping you could help us -"</p><p>"Poe! That scoundrel of a pilot! I hear he's the big man in the Resistance now!" Ubba laughed, and ushered them inside his modest apartment.</p><p>It wasn't exactly clean, but more of an organized clutter. Pieces of electronics and wiring were everywhere, and Rey grew excited. Surely this man could crack the mysterious datapads that may hold the secrets to her parents.</p><p>He led them to a small table with stools and politely offered them refreshment. Once they had settled, Rey reached into the satchel she had slung over her shoulder, pulling out three datapads.</p><p>Without a word, Ubba excitedly reached for the aged datapads, nimbly inspecting them.</p><p>"I haven't seen models like this in ages! Where'd you find them?" Ubba asked without looking up, already reaching to his necklace for one of the strange pendants that hung on it. He didn't wait for an answer as he jammed the piece into the side of the datapad, opening it to expose its complicated insides.</p><p>Rey and Ben exchanged an amused glance before Ben spoke, "They're from Coruscant, we're trying to find someone...a lost family member."</p><p>Ubba did not seem to need an explanation and remained silent, already rebooting the first datapad after tweaking its insides.</p><p>"How interesting!" Ubba suddenly exclaimed, scanning through the newly unlocked data.</p><p>"What? What is it?!" Rey leaned over the table anxiously, craning her neck to glance at the screen.</p><p>"It seems to be some kind of log book written by a scientist named Rala Tu," He continued to read before gasping and looking up at Rey and Ben with a raised eyebrow, "A Kaminoan <em>cloning</em> scientist?"</p><p>On instinct, Rey's mind reached out with the Force, causing the datapad to be unceremoniously ripped from Ubba's hands to her own. Excitement and anxiety overpowered her usual politeness as she scoured the recovered logs. She scrolled through the notes until she again came to the file that she had originally seen, the one about the man she was sure was her father.</p><p>The single image of experiment AD-6 was now accompanied by more pictures and hundreds of data entries by a single scientist. She skimmed through the details on the man's creation and genetic alterations and began looking through the entries, coming to a file of a voice recording. She tapped the entry, and a slightly distorted female voice began to speak:</p><p>
  <em>Entry 97: AD-6, accelerated age: 14</em>
</p><p>
  <em>This strand-cast tolerated the accelerated aging process remarkably well. Midichlorian counts remain low, but there is still time for growth.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I have come to call him Adix, a name of my own making from his experiment designation. He is a delightful conversationalist and pleasant boy to interact with. Out of all my experiments here, he is my greatest success. Unfortunately, he is not what is desired by the Emperor. I shall continue monitoring for further progress and continue the memory grafts.</em>
</p><p>Rey paused, looking at Ben who watched her with a thoughtful expression. He nodded for her to continue, reading over her shoulder as she did so. Ubba, on the other hand, appeared unfazed by Rey's eagerness and had moved on to the two other datapads they had brought to him.</p><p>Several video recordings accompanied the entries, and Rey watched in awe as the clips showed a young version of her father complete tasks and tests with the pale and willowy female Kaminoan scientist observing nearby.</p><p>Most entries were filled with scientific lingo and genetic data that Rey couldn't make sense of. She continued on, knowing from somewhere within that she would find the next clue she was looking for.</p><p>Further down, some months later in the log, she came to another voice recording entry. Again, the voice of Rala Tu began to speak, and the strain in her slow and even voice was apparent even in a decades-old recording.</p><p>
  <em>Entry 206: AD-6, accelerated age: 21</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Adix continues to exceed my expectations with his kind and peaceful disposition. He is a far cry from his genetic source. His affinity for the Force remains nearly non-existent. I fear I will not be able to delay his final evaluation by the Emperor and high command much longer.</em>
</p><p>Rey shuddered and Ben wrapped his arm comfortingly around her shoulders in response. They had been in the company of Ubba for nearly two hours, and the hacker had successfully unearthed much of the lost data from the datapads.</p><p>Finally, Ben convinced Rey that it was time to move their research back to the <em>Falcon</em>, and he vigorously thanked Ubba, offering him several credits in payment.</p><p>Ubba refused, smiling, "Call it a debt paid! Poe saved my ass more than a couple times. I'm happy to help!"</p><p>Ben smiled genuinely, nodding at the quirky man before turning on his heel to follow Rey. She was in such a hurry that he almost lost her in the crowd several times on the way back to the dock.</p><p>When they boarded the ship and closed the ramp, the silence was welcome. Coronet City was a busy and loud city, it was no surprise to Ben that his father had been a product of such a place. By time he had poured himself a glass of water, Rey was already on the bed, laying on her stomach, feet in the air with the datapads strewn about in front of her. He smiled at the sight of her and thought, '<em>It's going to be a long night'.</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>My longest chapter yet! I probably could have broken this into two chapters, but hey, I was on a roll! If you could please leave a review with what you think - I would be so grateful!! Thanks everyone!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter 13</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Rey awoke feeling uncomfortably warm. The weight of Ben Solo and his added heat made it feel as if she was laying under an engine block.</p><p>"Ben, roll over!" She was half muffled by her pillow, having fallen asleep face-first into the pillow in the early hours of the morning. His giant frame was half on top of her, his head nuzzled between her shoulder blades and a long arm draped over and hanging off the edge of the bed, fully pinning her in place.</p><p>Blissfully unaware that he was crushing her, Ben let out a soft snore. Rey groaned in playful annoyance, and reached within, emitting a small wave of energy by way of the Force - just enough to allow her to make her escape.</p><p>Ben grumbled in his sleep and rolled over, taking the rest of the sheets with him. Now having been released from his clutches, Rey let out a small laugh at the sight of Ben Solo rolled up in blankets.</p><p>Rey glanced at the chrono on the opposite wall and realized she had only slept for three hours. She rubbed her eyes and walked into the cabin of the ship. Quietly, she crept to the table and fired up one of the datapads, resuming where she had left off only hours before.</p><p>The next recording, Entry 207, was the final entry in the log:</p><p>
  <em>Adix has been scheduled for termination tomorrow. My family is long since dead - the Empire ensured that. I have nothing left to fight for. Adix has found a place in my heart, as if I had a son, and I cannot go through with his execution. By time this entry is discovered, I will likely be dead. Death to the Empire.</em>
</p><p>Rey was shocked. She had grown used to hearing the calm and measured voice of Rala Tu, but this entry was full of sadness and pain. She placed the first datapad down and moved onto the second.</p><p>While the first datapad contained many videos, recordings and other data entries by the Kaminoan scientist, this second one contained more operational information. There were descriptions of all the personnel that had worked in the Emperor's secret cloning operation on Coruscant. Many had their military credentials listed, as well as their family members and planets of origin. It was fascinating, but not what she had been hoping to find.</p><p>She scrolled absentmindedly, wanting to be thorough but not feeling the need to read every detail about the Empire's minions. Several pages further, she saw a headshot she recognized, Rala Tu. It seemed that the Kaminoan had been kidnapped from her home planet and forced into service by the Empire after her success in aiding in the creation of the cloned stormtroopers. She had been the one to perfect the accelerated aging process that had later been used for the creation of Rey's father.</p><p>Rey read the entirety of the small biography and felt anguish overcome her. The Kaminoans were known to be a peaceful and intelligent race, and the abhorrent task of being forced to create a clone host for the spirit of the Emperor must have been traumatizing.</p><p>When she reached the end of the entry, her heart sank. In bold, red lettering, the word EXECUTED was displayed. Her eyes watered and she looked up from the datapad, staring off into one of the blinking electronic arrays on the wall opposite to her. It seemed as if everything surrounding her family history was doused in pain and sadness, and the normally stoic scavenger-turned-Jedi worried about what she might find out next.</p><p>Setting down the datapad, Rey took a small break, stretching and making a cup of caf before she sat down again, but this time with the third datapad. She had initially written this one off, seeing as it only contained archived security recordings of the facility.</p><p>Now, she looked at it with renewed interest. The video clips with her father had been timestamped, and she searched through the security footage to the latest dates that matched up. Fast forwarding through, she almost missed what she was looking for.</p><p>The recording was in a hallway and had an odd angle, but she could easily make out the slender figure of Rala Tu, her tall frame towering over a young adult-aged Adix. The scientist bent down and conspiratorially whispered into the young man's ear. Whatever she had said, it had clearly alarmed Adix, but she touched his shoulder reassuringly before they exited the frame.</p><p>Rey searched further and came to a zoomed in, grainy video of what appeared to be a row of cells. She watched as Rala Tu slowly entered the frame, looking around warily.</p><p>Then, she turned to the door of one cell and punched in a code before speaking into the rectangular window of the room with a single word that Rey could hear: "<em>Run."</em></p><p>The door to the captain's quarters opened suddenly with a <em>whoosh</em> noise that startled Rey, immersed that she was in the video feed. She looked up, blinking rapidly, a wild expression on her face.</p><p>Ben yawned and looked around for a moment before spotting her, sitting on the booth-like seat with her knees drawn up to her chest, the datapad held tightly in her hands in front of her. When he saw the panic-stricken look on her face, he was suddenly wide awake and hurried over to her.</p><p>She looked up at him, eyes watering with tears threatening to spill over. He slid into the seat gracefully and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her tight to his side. She pushed her face into his shoulder, but still was curled up in a ball, one hand with a firm grip on the datapad.</p><p>With the physical contact, he could feel the full force of her dread seeping deep into his own chest. He pulled away only slightly, just enough to look down into her face. He took his free hand and wiped away a tear that had escaped the dam.</p><p>"What did you find?" He asked in a low and calm voice, trying to comfort her as much as possible.</p><p>She remained silent in reply, but turned the screen towards him, where he could see she had paused the recording. Rala Tu was frozen on the screen, her back towards the camera and her arms out in front of herself as if shielding from something.</p><p>Ben reached over and tapped the screen, pushing the play button. The sound of blaster fire was prominent, and the Kaminoan crumpled to the ground as stormtroopers surrounded her body.</p><p>Rey covered her mouth, but a hiccup and more tears could not be stifled. Ben kissed the side of her head, not taking his eyes off of the screen, which had gone fuzzy.</p><hr/><p>Ben had eased the tablet out of Rey's hands and had successfully convinced her to go back to bed for a little while. He remained at the table, now watching a specific recording for the third time. He watched again as the young Adix managed to flee the facility quickly and quietly thanks to Rala Tu's release and gift of her security card to make his escape. The last image of him was at one of the outside entrances, the last barrier to the vast cities of Coruscant and the galaxy before him. His head was turned in hesitation as Ben imagined he was having one last look at the only place he had ever known in his short and accelerated life.</p><p>So now they knew <em>when</em> her father had escaped, but not <em>where</em> he had gone before ending up on Jakku with Rey's mystery mother.</p><p>Continuous security recordings continued to play, casting an eerie blue glow on Ben's face as he sat back, arms crossed, thinking. He closed his eyes, not quite meditating, but found an easy peace within himself and the soft, yet powerful, energy signature of the deeply sleeping Rey close by. The recordings were mostly silent, sometimes a crackling noise of comm-link chatter between stormtroopers or scientists.</p><p>Nearly an hour had gone by with Ben still in exactly the same position. He was beginning to think he would fall asleep when he heard it. A wretched, rasping voice that broke the silence, causing Ben to flinch, eyes opening wide.</p><p>He hunched over the datapad and was shocked by what, or rather, <em>who</em> he saw. The footage showed two men, a scientist in a white coat and some sort of officer standing rigidly next to him. Their backs faced the camera and before them a droid projected a large, blue, translucent figure in hooded robes.</p><p>"<em>Your inability to contain a defective clone is a disappointment, Captain," The Emperor spoke and the officer before him stood even more stiffly.</em></p><p>"<em>Yes, my Emperor, I know I have failed you. But, our spies have tracked the experiment and he appears to have sought passage as a crew member for a smuggler. Their next destination is the Corellian shipyards. He can be disposed of at my command," The young captain bowed slightly, not looking up into the projected image. Next to him, the much shorter scientist squirmed and looked at his feet.</em></p><p>"<em>No," The Emperor hissed, "You will have your spies follow him, unharmed. He may yet be useful, am I correct?" The projection turned his unsettling gaze upon the scientist, who shuddered noticeably.</em></p><p>"<em>Y-yes. Experiment AD-6, although having n-no affinity for the Force, may be able to breed and produce the host you need," the old man stuttered and shifted uneasily.</em></p><p>"<em>Good," The evil voice nearly hummed, "I expect a daily report with his whereabouts and activities. Do not disappoint me again," The projection flickered and disappeared, the black droid rolling off out of frame.</em></p><p>Ben replayed the scene again, still baffled.</p><p>Forty minutes later, Ben leaned back, tapping a finger on his bottom lip. There had been several more minutes of invaluable information. It seemed that the Emperor's spies were successful in tracking Adix's movements all the way to Corellia where he had managed to get a job in the shipyards hauling junk. Apparently, after several months, he had even begun a relationship with a woman who also worked in the same shipyard, but as a speeder mechanic.</p><p>This is where the information stopped. Anything else the datapad had contained was lost, probably forever. So, Ben found himself thinking of what to do next. He couldn't take the disappointment in Rey's face if they hit a dead-end now.</p><p>He had to admit, so far their luck had been incredible. To already be in the very city where Rey's father was last seen made his head spin. If his uncle were around, he swore he could hear his voice saying: <em>It is the will of the Force, Ben.</em></p><p>The thought of his uncle's tedious Jedi lessons tumbled through his head several times before he came to an idea. Unlike himself, Rey had not been tutored for a decade on the ways of the Jedi and the Force. Instead, it flowed through her naturally and effortlessly, and she was often steered by the unseen energy without realizing it.</p><p>There were nearly a hundred shipyards within the confines of Coronet City and to continue their search, they would have to begin asking questions. Ben had a feeling that if Rey were to unconsciously take the lead, they would find what they were looking for.</p><hr/><p>"Ben, it's been two days. We've talked to people in 20 shipyards and still nothing," Rey said dejectedly, plopping down on a nearby bench with an exasperated sigh.</p><p>Next to her, Chewbacca added a small growl, sounding tired as well.</p><p>"Sorry, 22 shipyards," Rey added sarcastically after the wookie corrected her.</p><p>Optimism was not Ben's strong suit, but he tried to portray encouragement, "Just one more today, Rey. Don't think, just <em>feel.</em>"</p><p>Rey sighed again, closing her eyes and tilting her head back to lean against the dusty back of the bench. In her right hand, she held one of the datapads with an image of her father's face. They had been showing it to shipyard workers and passersby for hours with no luck.</p><p>"One more," Rey agreed, opening her eyes and standing up slowly. She looked around, deciding which direction to go.</p><p>Ben and Chewie followed her closely as she led them past several of the worksites until she stopped suddenly, causing Ben to almost run right into her. She had stopped to stare at a small hangar that appeared to be a sort of repair shop. When Ben turned to look, he felt a tingling sensation travel down his spine. When he reached for Rey's hand, it was like completing an electrical circuit, a frisson of excitement running from her to him.</p><p>Rey confidently marched up to an old man who was fiddling with a battery of some sort, his wrinkles deppened by his squinting eyes, "Excuse me?"</p><p>The old man looked up curiously, still squinting, "What do you need, missy?"</p><p>Rey held up the image of Adix to the man, "Have you ever seen this man before? It would've been about twenty years ago. His name was -"</p><p>"You'll be wanting Axel, then," the old man cut her off, pointing behind him, "She's been here for forty years and doesn't forget a face."</p><p>The trio looked past the man into the hangar where the man was pointing. A petite woman with short and blindingly white hair was shining a light inside the engine of a speeder that looked to be as old as she was.</p><p>Chewie hung back, inspecting a refurbished power converter while Ben and Rey carefully made their way to the woman, trying not to trip over any parts and tools along the way.</p><p>"Axel?" Rey asked loudly over the echoing mechanical noises within the hangar.</p><p>The woman's head shot up, her eyes magnified by goggles that reminded them both of Maz.</p><p>"Call me Ax," The woman said with a raspy voice, inspecting her inquisitors.</p><p>"Ax," Rey held the datapad up, "Have you ever seen this man?"</p><p>Ax snatched the device out of Rey's hands and held the image close to her face, her grease-marked face turning up in a crooked smile when she handed it back.</p><p>"Now there's a face I haven't seen in a millenia. That's Adix."</p><hr/><p>Rey was nearly vibrating with anticipation as she sat next to Ben in a small office-like room. The walls were covered in schematics of various ships and speeders, and tools lay strewn about on the small table in front of them.</p><p>"What do you want to know?" the ancient mechanic asked, her voice creaking like a rusty hinge.</p><p>"Anything," Ben replied.</p><p>"Everything," Rey added.</p><p>Ax turned her eyes to her walls, musing to herself before continuing.</p><p>"He came to me about, oh, twenty-one years ago. The boy looked like he had never worked a day in his life. Told me he was a fast learner, though," She glanced at Rey, "And he was. He hauled junk for this hangar, took parts I couldn't salvage to a recycler and had a knack for finding pieces in the junkyards that could be reused."</p><p>Rey exchanged a look with Ben, a bashful smile on her face. Scavenging was a family trait, it seemed.</p><p>"He was an odd boy, always amazed at the most mundane things, as if he had never seen them in his life before. Smart, helpful, and never had a bad word for anyone. And boy did he have eyes for Betina."</p><p>"Betina?" Rey asked, cocking her head and leaning forward, the eagerness coming off of her in waves.</p><p>"She was the youngest speeder mechanic I ever took a chance on. And boy, did that pay off. You know, you remind me of her, girl. She wore her hair that exact same way. And the shape of her face - you have the same."</p><p>Ben's jaw nearly dropped to the floor as Rey gripped his wrist, looking at him with water welling up in her eyes. <em>Her mother.</em></p><p>The old woman appeared not to notice their emotional reactions and carried on, stopping frequently to clear her throat, "Those two were all googly-eyed for each other from the start. He would make these little trinkets out of junk metal and give them to her. They were good kids, hard workers."</p><p>"What happened to them?" Ben asked.</p><p>"Now that's the odd thing. About a year after I hired that boy, he and Betina became strangely secretive. Always looking over their shoulders or talking in whispers. I never did bother with asking questions," She shrugged, leaning back into her chair, "None of my business, to each their own. They did their work, and I did mine. To be honest, I think the girl was pregnant. Betina was a skinny thing and that belly sticking out wasn't from no bantha steak. Anyway, one day, they both up and tell me that they took another job, for some junk trader on Jakku. Maker knows why they'd want to go to that backwater planet. They were gone before I could even give them their last day's pay."</p><p>The woman finished and finally turned to the couple, and her eyes screwed up in confusion at the looks on Ben and Rey's faces. A few tears had tracked their way down Rey's face and she wiped at them, sniffling slightly, but otherwise remaining silent.</p><p>Ben thanked the woman for her time, and outside, it seemed that Chewie had gone and had himself a little shopping spree. Upgrades for the <em>Falcon</em>, the wookie had claimed, furry arms full of dirty parts.</p><p>Later that night, Chewie was installing his new purchases while Ben and Rey sat in the cockpit, silent. They both stared out into the night, admiring the twinkling lights of the busy city and wondering what was coming next.</p><p>Without speaking, Rey rose from her chair and went to Ben, sitting on his lap and bringing her feet up to her chest, curling into him. He wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in his warmth. His lips brushed the crown of her head as he tried to soothe her anxiety. His heart thumped faster, having her so close and so vulnerable. He wondered at how he could still feel so overwhelmed with his feelings for the woman before him. He wished he could voice it properly, out loud. Ben listened to her slow and even breathing, sensing that she was beginning fall asleep as she nuzzled closer to his chest. At least, through the Bond, he knew he could say it.</p><p>
  <em>I love you.</em>
</p><p>Even thinking the words brought a small splash of color and heat to his face. He knew what she felt, but still, after over a year of being on opposite sides of a war and being rejected by her, he feared her reaction. Abruptly, his internal worrying was interrupted.</p><p>
  <em>I love you, too, Ben Solo.</em>
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